


Demon wolf

by Ischa



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Age Difference, Families of Choice, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Romance, Secret Identity, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-20 01:42:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9469799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ischa/pseuds/Ischa
Summary: In which Tim is a werewolf, who ran away from home and the Wayne boys (when not fighting crime at night) like to help out strays.“Jay,” Tim said, “I know you guys care about me. I know you could be hanging out with whoever you want –““They aren’t half as interesting as you are, Tim,” Jason cut in.Tim wanted to protest that he wasn’t that interesting at all, but really, he was probably like catnip for people who loved to solve puzzles and uncover mysteries.“Thanks I guess.”“You are welcome,” Jason replied. He finished his cigarette just as they reached Jason’s car. “Want a ride?”“I thought that was why you came here in the first place,” Tim said. “To pick me up.”“Nah, I came to stir shit up,” Jason replied with a grin.





	1. Chapter 1

~One~

Tim supposed he could have gone to social services, before. Two years ago, hell four when it first started, when it became apparent that he had the gene, that it would not stay dormant.  
Now...now, what were three more years until he was of age?  
His mother starred at him in hatred, but since his first turning she had been looking at him that way.

“How dare you!” She hissed, throwing the USB at Tim. 

He smoothly stepped away, his reflexes were excellent in human form too. Not as good as when he was a wolf, but really fucking great. “There are copies of course,” he said calmly. 

“You ungrateful little-”

“Ungrateful?” Tim asked sharply, showing his teeth. It made her take a step back, but she recovered fast. She always had. When he had been younger he had hoped she would come around. Had thought somehow it was his fault. “I could have given this to the media.” 

“And paint yourself as the victim,” she scoffed. 

He was the victim, the boy of eleven and twelve and thirteen, he was. But Tim shied away from applying that word to himself now that he was fifteen. “They would think so, yes. Imagine the scandal.” 

She pressed her lips together. It was strange that he used to love her. It was strange to know that she used to love him too. “What do you want?” 

“Money,” Tim said. 

“Of course,” she replied. 

“Not more than what is mine anyway. I want only the fond grandfather left me.” 

She smiled. “Yours? If he had known what you were he would made me leave you in the wild to be eaten by beasts. And I would've gladly done it.” 

“He didn't. It's my money,” Tim said. 

“And then?” She asked. 

“I'm moving out,” Tim replied. His things were packed already. “And once I have my money I won't ever talk to you again,” Tim added. He was surprised by the pain he felt at those words. She was still his mother and the good years still outweighed the bad. Four years of hatred and torture, versus elven of love. 

She looked at her nails and then at Tim, smiling at him. “It's not like you can ever escape what I left you with.” 

He flinched and hated himself for showing that weakness to her. “I know it will take a month to settle this affair, I see you at the lawyer’s. Don't try to drag this out, mother.” 

This time it was her who flinched, but it didn't give Tim the satisfaction he had hoped for.  
“Out,” she hissed. 

Tim nodded and got his bags.  
He didn't look back when he closed the door to the manor. 

~+~  
The wolf was itching under his skin and for the first time since he first turned (that first time had been amazing. He had been happy.) he could run.  
The transformation wasn’t limited to the full moon, but it always came on then. Tim couldn’t suppress it on a full moon. He shuddered thinking back to how he had been forced to spend the last few years. Month after month, after month.  
His hands balled to fists on their own accord. He didn't want to be angry, but he couldn’t help it.  
He checked into a cheap hotel near the park, because until his grandfather's money would be transferred to him, he would have to make do with what little he had been able to put aside for the last two years.  
It smelled musty and a bit damp, but it was his for now. It was his and no one could come in here and no one would yell at him, no one would hit him, no one would shackle him in the basement. No one would put a muzzle on him, to keep the neighbors from noticing his cries and later whimpers.  
For the first time in years Tim was free.  
He didn't know what to do with that feeling. 

~+~  
The first time he was running, was only three days after he moved out. Declared war on his family. On his mother. It was a full moon. Maybe it would have been better to do it earlier, but he had still been too sore from the last beating she had given him the week before. That had been the last straw. He had known then that he had to get out of the house.  
She could maybe still drag him back on legal grounds. He wasn't of age yet and she was his mother, but he didn't think she would. The video of her abusing him was powerful blackmail. Tim knew she would never risk that this video made it to the media. 

He stripped out of his clothes behind a few bushes and tugged them away. And then he stretched, got on his hands and knees and let the change come over him. It wasn't painful, or maybe it was. He was pretty fucked up now when it came to pain. There was nothing he couldn't endure he thought.  
He curled into himself once it was over and just breathed. He knew he was still a pretty small wolf. No more than a pup really, but he was strong and he was fast and he knew that nothing here was more dangerous than he was.  
He started running. He kept away from humans, not because he was afraid they'd hurt him, but because he wanted to be left alone.  
The Gotham Park was really fucking big and sometimes, away from the main roads and paths, so dense like a forest. There was even game here. Squirrels, birds (of course), rats, and even rabbits. Tim remembered vaguely that he had killed a rabbit the first time. He hadn’t felt guilty for it. The wolf hadn't, but even once he was back to his human form, shivering, naked and his mouth covered in crusted rabbit blood, he hadn't felt guilty. It had felt right. Part of him. He had felt complete. Whole.  
And then it had been all ripped away from him. 

He shook his head and sniffed the air. There was something up ahead and it didn't smell like game, not really human either. But there was human underneath once he found the scent. One of the vigilantes, he thought, way too late to stop himself from pursuing it. He had smelled them before, all those years he had been a prisoner under the manor on full moon nights.  
The smell of blood hit him hard, he growled. 

Nightwing swore, looking at him.  
Tim wasn't sure what he saw. A small wolf? A big dog? Something else? A dark shape in the inky blue of the night? 

“Great, fuck,” he was pressing his hand to his leg and fumbling with a bandage.  
Tim wondered why he wasn’t on his way back to the cave, or somewhere else to have Alfred or Bruce take care of this.  
Tim growled again at that thought. 

“Good boy,” Nightwing said, trying to sound soothing. 

Tim growled louder showing his teeth. He hated it when he was called 'good boy'. He shook his head, Nightwing couldn’t know and he wasn't here to hurt Tim.  
He was himself hurt. Something inside Tim ached at that. He had always hoped to be friends with the Wayne kids, but that didn't happen. 

He leaped so fast that Nightwing had no time to do much except drop the bandage and try to shield his face and neck. Tim landed on Nightwing's chest: solid and warm under him. 

“Shit,” Nightwing cursed under his breath. He was utterly still under Tim and something inside Tim thrilled at that. It felt good to have Nightwing pinned down under him, but there was the worry too. The bleeding hadn't stopped. 

Somehow Tim knew that when he licked the wound it would heal faster. Would get better, maybe even close over. He frowned down at Nightwing. He didn't owe Nightwing, but – Tim wanted to help. He licked Nightwing's face carefully and felt Nightwing relax. He took the opportunity to bend down and lick at the wound. He tasted blood, sweat and the fabric of the suit. Chemical and wrong, but he kept licking while Nightwing held his breath.  
Once Tim was done, he sprang onto the ground and sprinted away. There was no use to stay any longer. He had to better make it to where his clothes were and then home. 

~+~  
Tim took a long shower and put on clothes.  
He felt a bit shaken by the night's events.  
His face in the mirror looked young and tired. He didn't think a boy his age should look like that. He would have to practice smiling.  
He didn't feel like smiling when he was looking at himself. His mother had always kept the whippings and beatings to where no one could see. His back, upper arms, thighs, his ass.  
They used to disappear after every full moon until she got a bit more creative. Seemed, Tim thought wryly, that silver could do someone like him harm after all.  
He smiled, but it looked painful. Tim exhaled, looked into his own blue-violet eyes. Such a strange color he thought, probably part of his shifter heritage. 

“It’s not your fault,” he told his reflection.  
Maybe if he said it often enough he would believe it one day. 

“You are not cursed,” he said to the Tim in the mirror. That was easier to believe. 

He sighed. His stomach grumbled.  
He pushed his hair back from his forehead and decided to get some breakfast.  
There was a diner a few blocks down.  
He could walk. 

~+~  
The sum his grandfather left him was three million dollars, and it sounded like a lot but it really wasn't. Not for what Tim was planning for his future.  
He knew he couldn’t be the only one. His parents had known about the gene, had known what was happening to Tim once he shifted for the first time. There was knowledge there. He needed to dig, to get all the information on it he could.  
Because he was sure that his parents weren’t the only ones who couldn't deal with it. Or – a more bitter voice said – who saw their kids as less than human: subhuman and therefore not worth their love and affection.  
It wasn't something you would make public.  
Luckily Tim had always been good with computers. His parents had limited his access, but they knew that he needed one to do well at school. Tim had made it work for him. School was the place he could feel safe. He often stayed longer to discuss things with his teachers and to work in the computer lap, joined the photography and computer clubs. 

He knew he wasn't ready to put on a mask and a cape (he wasn't sure about the cape) yet. He needed more training. His strength and speed alone wouldn't keep him from dying out there. His body's ability to heal itself after a full moon was an asset, sure, but he couldn’t help but feel like it was also comprised because his body had to heal itself so many times over the last four years.  
He needed to find a way to make more money. Have a steady income. He needed a trainer, a suit.  
The reality of this project was overwhelming, but Tim was determined.  
There was no way he would leave other kids to suffer like he had suffered.

He was well aware that this was personal, but then he knew that all vigilantes started out like this.  
Personal trauma was par for the course, Tim thought wryly.  
He had just to look at Bruce Wayne, Dick...  
Tim shouldn’t think about Dick. At all. He could still taste Dick's blood on his tongue and how right it felt to feel Dick underneath him. To hear his heartbeat hard and fast and then slower as he accepted Tim.  
There was no room for this. No room for this at all in his current plan.


	2. Chapter 2

~Two~

There were a few minor setbacks. Like that he was only fifteen and had no driver’s license. His parents still paid for the school to keep up appearances and Tim thought that they would until he was done with high school, but then he would be on his own. He wasn't that concerned, maybe a scholarship, or if he had to, he would pay for college with his own money.   
He had to take the bus, in fact from his current apartment, he had to take three different buses to get to school. Tim drove the bicycle as often as he could.   
Sometimes he was tempted to just turn into a wolf and run, but that was hardly practical.   
Right, he thought, miserably as he watched his bus drive away and it started to pour cats and dogs, being a wolf would be really a lot nicer than being a human right now. Slowly getting wetter and colder.   
He sighed, closed his eyes. Counted to five-

“You need a ride?” 

Tim's eyes snapped open at the voice. Dick was looking at him with his pretty blue eyes.   
“I-”

“It's pouring,” Dick cut in. “The next bus will come in an hour. You'll catch a cold. Come on,” he leaned over and opened the passenger door. The rain was staining the leather of the car seat.   
Tim got in. 

“Thank you,” Tim said, fastening the seat belt. 

“It's no problem, we're neighbors anyway.” 

Oh, Tim thought and bit his lip. He had to tell Dick. He had to. His mother wouldn’t let him in. He would have to walk back. “I'm not living with my parents.” 

Dick looked at him from the corner of his eye.   
Tim was bracing himself for all kinds of questions.   
“Okay, where are you living now?” Dick asked. Tim told him. “That's not the best neighborhood.”

Tim shrugged “It's fine. I kinda like it.” It wasn't even a lie. Tim did like his neighborhood. It was real. He was real. No one was asking questions. Misses Romanow made him pirogi sometimes and brought up cake. Tim helped her with her groceries. 

“Still, must be difficult to be on your own,” Dick said. 

“It's alright. I'm used to it,” Tim replied 

Dick kept silent after that, only humming along to the radio. Tim liked that. He liked knowing that Dick was humming to the radio, he stored that little bit of information with everything else he knew about Dick. 

“Here,” Tim said as they were close to his building. 

Dick nodded, parked and then looked at Tim.   
Tim didn't know what to do. He wanted to spend more time with Dick, but – he didn’t want to tell Dick why he was living on his own.   
“Thank you,” Tim said, grabbing his bag. 

“You're welcome, Timothy,” Dick replied. 

“Tim,” Tim said, holding out his hand. 

Dick smiled. “Dick.” 

Tim smiled back “I know.” 

“See you around Tim.” 

“Yeah,” Tim said and got out of the car. 

~+~  
It was only fair, Tim thought wryly, that Dick was stalking him now. Dick wasn't even subtle about it.   
More often than not he was waiting for Tim outside the school. 

“You shouldn't do that,” Tim said as he was getting in Dick's car. 

“Do What?” 

“Pick me up. It's not even raining,” Tim answered. 

“It's not a problem. I like driving around.” 

“Yes, but...people will talk.” 

“About what?” Dick asked, he was grinning. He knew exactly what Tim was talking about. “You're not a girl. So don't worry, they won' think I'm seducing you.” Dick laughed. 

Tim just gave him a look. Dick laughed harder.   
“Fine,” Tim sighed. 

“You worry too much, Tim,” Dick said, 

“Someone has to,” Tim replied and knew it was the wrong thing to say by the way Dick's body stiffened for a second. 

“Tim-”

“Don't wanna talk about it,” Tim cut in, because he knew what Dick was about to ask. He had wanted to ask about it before, but thought better of it. Tim knew Dick would find out, eventually. He was Nightwing after all. It would probably only take a visit from Nightwing and his mother would spill it all. Tim had to get her out of the city. Soon. Best today, latest tomorrow. 

“You're fifteen. And you're living on your own. In the not so nice part of town,” Dick pointed out. 

“Still don't wanna talk about the why. We don't know each other that well. You drive me home from time to time,” Tim replied. 

“You could ask me to come -”

“Upstairs? For a coffee?” Tim cut in. “You sure you aren't hitting on poor innocent me?” 

Any sane person would have backed down. Accusations of being queer or liking kids would do that, but this was Dick and it seemed Dick wasn't giving a damn.   
“Yeah, I think I earned a coffee.” 

“You,” Tim said, twisting in his seat to look at Dick, “earned nothing, I owe you nothing. You offered.” 

“Tim-”

“No. You can just park the car and I'll walk,” Tim interrupted. “And you shouldn't pick me up anymore, if you think it gives you any rights to me.” 

“Is that what you really want?” Dick asked. 

It wasn't, was the truth, but it would be easier.   
“Yes,” Tim lied. “That is what I want.” 

“I'll drive you home today anyway. We're nearly there.”

Tim nodded, they drove the last ten minutes in silence.   
When Tim grabbed his bag, Dick grabbed his wrist to make Tim look at him. “You know you shouldn’t push everyone away who wants to be your friend.”

“Friends should accept when someone doesn’t want to talk about something and not pry and snoop and try to guilt trip,” Tim replied. 

Dick winced. “I wanted to help.” 

Tim sighed. “I know, but see: for you it's not enough.” 

“What?” Dick blinked. 

“You'd want to fix me. I don't need to be fixed,” Tim answered and pulled, but Dick's fingers curled only harder around Tim's thin wrist. He was stronger than that, he could pull away if he wanted to, but he would give himself away then, so Tim didn't use all his strength. “Let go, Dick.” He looked pointedly at Dick's fingers around his wrist.   
Dick let go slowly. One finger after another. It was painful to watch and even more painful to feel those fingers slip away. 

“See you around,” Dick said, as he gripped the steering wheel and then he was gone and Tim took a breath, went upstairs to his apartment. He had to deal with his mother. 

~+~  
Tim was avoiding Dick and Dick knew it. He was still trying to pick Tim up and drive him home, but Tim wasn't having any of it.   
Eventually Dick took the hint. Tim had to admit, even if it was only to himself, that he missed Dick's presence in his life. But he had other things to worry about.  
Tim's mother wasn't leaving the city, even after Nightwing had visited her. Tim knew she hadn't spilled a goddamned thing about him. Just said something about him being unnatural. Dick gathered that she was homophobic. Tim knew because he had bugged his parent's house.   
It was alright, it wasn't even a lie. He was attracted to men. 

~+~  
Tim's network and investments were slowly growing. Very slowly. He had the urge to do something now and then it hit him. He could take pictures and have them delivered to Dick's apartment. It would of course freak Dick out that someone knew his secret, but Tim was sure it was worth it. He was too young and too inexperienced to help people in the same way Batman, Robin and Nightwing did. He would grow into his vigilante persona. He already picked out a name and everything, but he wasn't there yet. Tim was a planner. He knew he wasn't ready and he wouldn’t risk his life and everything else he had been working for just because he was growing impatient. Maybe it was the wolf inside him too.   
He tried to shift and run as often as he could, but it seemed it was still not enough for his wolf. He could feel the wolf under his skin, wanting out and out and out.   
The wolf wanted to hunt. Tim was pretty sure that it didn't matter to the wolf if they hunter to kill or to scare the crap out of criminals. The wolf also wanted to fuck, but Tim just wasn't going to indulge in that yet. 

~+~  
He had been right, the hunt was what set the wolf at ease. Stalking their prey and making pictures, photographic evidence of their crimes.   
He had a foolproof system how to have the pictures delivered to the manor.   
Tim had random street-kids scrawl Dick's address on the envelopes from random parts of town. He always paid them for it nicely.   
Sometimes he wondered what Dick was thinking about it. He was sure Dick was trying to find out where these photos were coming from, but Tim was good in covering his tracks. There was nothing that would lead back to him.   
He was following Dick's investigations. Once Tim nudged him in the right direction. He felt content with their progress.   
Thanks to them the city was becoming a safer place to live.   
Things were really looking up. 

~+~  
And then he had to go and fuck it up.   
He hadn't really thought about it, was the thing. Tim had been on his way home, camera secured already in his bag and thinking about if he should get pizza or Chinese takeout for dinner. His eyes were on the pavement and that's how he saw the shadow. There and gone, but Tim had been watching Nightwing since he was old enough to hold a camera and sneak out of his parent’s house without anyone noticing. He would recognize Nightwing's shadow everywhere. 

His head snapped in the direction Nightwing took. It was too early for patrol. It wasn't even dark outside yet. The wolf inside him stirred, he sniffed and then he ran. Tim was faster than an average human too, even in his human form. He tore after Nightwing without missing a beat, without breaking in a sweat. He lost Nightwing for a few agonizing seconds but then the wolf took over and Tim was running again. Tim's body, but the wolf's consciousness and instincts.   
They ended up in front of a rundown brownstone. Surrounded by empty houses on all sides. The brownstone looked abounded too, at a glance at least, but Tim was observant and he could see that someone was clearly using it. Tim walked around the house, hugging the shadows. He had shifted a few blocks away, stashed his clothes and camera in a plastic back behind trashcans. It paid to be prepared, with him being a werewolf and all.

There were security cameras everywhere. Cleverly disguised. Dick wasn't stupid. He looked out for himself. Tim looked up to the apartment at the uppermost floor. This was where Nightwing lived when he wasn't at the manor. Tim wanted to see how it looked inside. His curiosity got the better of him and it wasn't helping that the wolf wanted to be near Nightwing too. When Dick was close his wolf felt content too. It was nice knowing he and the wolf had similar taste in men.   
There was no way he could do anything about his curiosity now.   
He would have to come back some other time. 

~+~  
It was raining cats and dogs again and Tim was miserable on his way home from his martial arts class.   
The car stopped a few feet in front of him. Tim recognized it of course.  
The passenger door opened. Tim sighed. It was a stupid idea. He got in anyway. 

“Thank you Dick,” Tim said as he buckled his belt. 

“No problem,” Dick replied. He started the car again and drummed his fingers on the wheel. It was clear he wanted to say something. Tim waited him out.   
“How have you been?” Dick asked after a few more minutes of silence. 

“Good,” Tim said. 

Dick snorted. “Look, I've been to see your folks.”

Tim knew that of course. But he wasn't going to tell Dick that.   
“And?” Tim prompted, because now that Dick was talking and so close that Tim could touch him, if he shifted a bit, just an accidental brush of his hand or arm or elbow, he wanted to hear what Dick had to say. 

“I know they threw you out because you like boys.” 

Tim smiled. “Boys...” he said. He liked men too. He liked Dick. He had an arsenal of fantasies involving Dick and what he would do to Dick, what Dick would do to Tim. They ranged from tender love making to hard fucking. 

“Excuse me?”

Tim turned his head so he could look at Dick's profile. “Men, I like men too, Dick.” 

Dick blinked. “That is totally natural.”

“I know that,” Tim said. 

“Your parents-”

“Don't think it is. So I thought it best to move out.” 

Dick looked at him then. “They disowned you and threw you out Tim!” 

“I know, I was there,” Tim said. 

“How are you-,” Dick glanced at the street, because it was raining even heavier now. He slowed the car a bit. “How are you paying for rent?”

The question shouldn't be that loaded, Tim thought. “I had some money saved up.” Tim glanced out of the window. “Not enough to stay anywhere that could be called a decent neighborhood. But I get by.” It was way better living on his own. He still had the scars from his parents' loving care after all. Those would never go away. 

“You could move in with me,” Dick said out of the blue. 

“Did you think that trough?” Tim asked. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you are Bruce Wayne's son and how would it look if you suddenly lived with a queer boy eight years younger, Dick?” It wasn't only that but it wasn't like Tim could bring up Dick's nightly adventures in vigilantism. 

“No one will talk, Tim.” Dick seemed so sure of it too. But then maybe if you're loved and protected by someone like Batman...maybe it was easy to believe that things would turn out alright. 

“And what about Mister Wayne?”

Dick pressed his lips together, probably thinking about the secret he was keeping. “I didn't mean the manor. I meant my place,” Dick said. 

“You have your own place.” It wasn't a question. Tim knew of course and it was best to not have to lie too much. Dick wasn't stupid and he was trained by Batman too. 

“Yes,” Dick replied and turned into a side street. 

“That's not the way to my place,” Tim pointed out. 

“No, it's the way to my apartment.”

“Dick-”

“You could at least look at the place,” Dick said. He seemed suddenly determined to make Tim say yes. 

Tim wasn't going to, he had secrets on his own after all. He couldn’t afford Dick finding them out, but he was glad for the opportunity to check out Dick's place and security.   
“Fine,” he sighed. 

Dick smiled at him. 

~+~  
Dick ordered pizza for dinner and he made tea while Tim was looking around. “There is a spare-room, you know?” Dick said as he sat down the mugs. 

“And here I thought you wanted me to sleep in your bed,” Tim teased. Fuck, but he had missed Dick. 

For a moment Dick looked shocked, but then he laughed. “You're a little shit, aren't you?” 

Tim shrugged. Maybe he was. “This is pretty far away from the manor.”

“Sometimes I just have to get away from – my family,” Dick replied. 

“And this is what? Your man cave? You realize that you have no neighbors here. At all.”

“Man cave, really?”

“Wouldn’t it cramp your style? Me moving in?”

“What? How?”

“What about women?”

“Oh,” Dick said. “We could figure something out.” 

“What about boys?”

“Yours you mean?” 

Tim looked at him with a pointed look. “Yes. Me I mean.” 

Dick shrugged. “It'll be fine.”

“You haven't thought that trough at all, have you? You went to my parents' house, you somehow made my mother tell you why I wasn't living with them anymore and then you decided you needed to rescue me. Fix this. Fix me.” 

Dick winced. “I don't want to fix you. I want to do what Bruce did for me. He took me in when I didn't have anyone else. He gave me a home.” 

“I have a home,” Tim replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Tim knew all about body language. He knew how to lie with it too. 

“You live in a one room apartment, Tim.”

“It's mine. It's my home. How do you know it's only one room?” Tim asked. 

“Those are the cheapest units in the building,” Dick said.

Tim sighed. “I appreciate the offer. I really do. But I like living on my own.”

“Really?” Dick asked, skepticism in every letter. 

“Really. I like the freedom of it. That I can be who I am.” 

“You could be that here too,” Dick insisted, but Dick didn't know the whole truth about Tim. About the wolf, about the scars Tim had. Tim wasn't ready to tell Dick about it. Or anyone else, really.

“No, I couldn’t.” 

“I feel like I should send the authorities to deal with your parents.”

“But what would that accomplish?” Tim asked. “I don't want to go back. I have enough money to support myself. School is paid for. Once I'm old enough I will be able to get the money my grandfather left me. Dick. Please don't,” he said and made his voice sound vulnerable and small. The wolf didn't like being vulnerable. Or seem vulnerable, but Tim needed Dick to leave this alone.

“Tim-”

“I'm taking martial arts classes. So I can defend myself against creeps,” Tim cut in. 

Dick looked him up and down. “Okay.”

“Okay what?” 

“Okay, I won't tell anyone about your situation.”

“Thank you,” Tim said and waited for the but. 

“But,” Dick said, “I want to show you a few tricks to keep creeps away from you. After all you are a handsome young man.” 

Tim knew that wasn't true. He wasn't handsome. He was more pretty in a slightly feminine way. Fake boobs and a skirt and he would be a looker. He'd never look like Dick. Strong and wide and manly. Or Jason for that matter. Jason was only two years older than Tim and he already looked like a man. Tim would probably still look like a boy when he was twenty-five.

“Thank you.”

Dick grinned. “My pleasure.” 

~+~  
It wasn't bad to have to spend time with Dick. It wasn't even like Tim had to. He wanted to. The wolf wanted it too. The problem was that Tim had to hold back with Dick. He couldn’t show Dick his whole strength, or speed, or reflexes.   
After the fifth week Dick looked at him after their work out and the wolf inside Tim shifted. 

“What?”

“You're lying to me,” Dick said. 

“I – don't know what you mean.”

“You're holding back. You don't let me see what you are really capable of,” Dick stated. “Do you even need my help?”

“I never asked for it, you offered,” Tim answered. 

Dick laughed, but it lacked humor. Tim winced. “Yeah, I guess I did.” 

“Dick-”

“It's fine. I get it: I blackmailed you into this.”

“You didn't. I – I like spending time with you,” Tim said, and he knew it was stupid, because he shouldn’t be making friends. Especially not with Dick, who was Nightwing, who was still trying to find out who was sending him those anonymous photos. He was risking a lot for the pleasure of having Dick around. 

“Oh, I get that part, but you don't need me to teach you anything,” Dick said. 

“I learned a lot in the last few weeks,” Tim replied, it was true too. 

“But you could’ve learned so much more and more to your strengths if you would show me what you can really do.” 

Tim kept silent.   
Dick's mouth set into a grim line. “But you don't trust me.” 

“I barely know you,” Tim said. It wasn't strictly true. He knew everything he could know by gathering every bit of information about Dick, and Nightwing, that was out there to be consumed. And he knew a few things about Dick now that he never would have been able to gather otherwise, just by being with Dick in the same room. It wasn't really fair, Tim knew, that he had all this information on Dick and Dick knew so little about who Tim really was. 

Dick’s mouth softened and Tim tried not to stare. “Fair enough, but you’ll have to trust someone, someday, Tim.”

Tim nodded. He knew that too. He looked up at Dick. He wanted to trust Dick, but it was hard, after all his own parents weren’t able to love him. “Do you want to quit this?”

“No,” Dick said. “I don’t.”

Tim’s heart felt lighter. “Next week, same time, same place then?”

“Yes,” Dick answered.


	3. Chapter 3

~Three~

_Tim was running, he was the wolf and the wolf was him and there was blood on the air and hard pavement under his feet/paws. He knew that scent, that particular aroma. It was Dick’s blood. He had to get to Dick, had to find Dick, had to help Dick._   
_The wolf growled and Tim ran faster._   
_It was like that time in the park and not. Tim thought they were on the Wayne manor grounds, but wasn’t too sure. The trees looked meaner. Dick was lying on the grass and he was naked and bleeding._

_“You,” Dick said and Tim leaped so he was pining Dick down with his weight. He wasn’t an especially big wolf, but he wasn’t small either. Dick’s eyes were shinning blue. Unnaturally so._   
_Tim/the wolf leaned down and licked the blood from Dick’s chest to close the wound. And then he wasn’t the wolf and Dick’s hand was grabbing his neck. Big and strong and pulling Tim down against his chest. Tim licked Dick’s chest and was rewarded with a low moan._   
_He could feel himself getting hard and he was naked now too. His skin against Dick’s. Warm and slick._   
_Dick smelled so good._   
_Tim couldn’t help himself he had to bite that delicious skin and Dick moaned again._   
_Tim wanted to bury himself in Dick._

_“Dick,” he said, rubbing his cock against Dick’s thigh.”_

“Dick,” he gasped and woke up. He blinked up at the ceiling and took deep breaths. He was hard, but that was really no surprise. He had dreamed about Dick before, fantasized about him even more often. He had never until know dreamed about being with Dick while not human. Even now it sent a thrill down his spine. He took another deep breath. It wasn’t only Tim who wanted Dick, the wolf wanted him too and Tim had the uneasy feeling the wolf was more single minded than him.  
He let his hand slide down his stomach and inside his boxers, grabbed his hard cock and stroked like he thought Dick would maybe do it.  
He bit his lip when he came hard, panting and feeling less satisfied than he should.

~+~  
Tim kept his feelings under wraps. It wouldn’t do to throw himself at Dick, who would surely refuse him. He was only fifteen after all and Dick was…well, Dick.  
But he liked spending time with Dick.

“So, I was thinking,” Dick said after another one of their sparing seasons. Tim was getting really good and when he used his full strength and speed he was even better on the streets. He was thinking about getting a suit done.

“Okay?” Tim asked, taking a long pull from his water bottle.

“Don’t sound so skeptical,” Dick teased.

“I’m not, I know you are smart,” Tim said and added, “you just make really stupid decisions sometimes.”

Dick grinned at him. “It’s your birthday soon,” he said, watching Tim.

“Yes,” Tim replied.

“And I was thinking it would be nice to do something.”

“Like what? You want to take me to the zoo and then for cake and icecream?”

“If that’s what you want,” Dick shrugged.

“I’m not a kid,” Tim said.

“So, dinner and a club then?”

“A club?” Tim asked. “Sixteen.”

“They’ll let you in if you’re with me and Jay,” Dick answered. “They just won’t serve you alcohol.”

Tim looked at him hard. “You want to celebrate my birthday with me.”

“Yes,” Dick said. “That’s what friends and family do and you and your parents… aren’t on good terms right now so, yeah. Me it is.”

The truth was that Dick was pretty much Tim’s only friend. Dick had to know that too. It wasn’t that Tim had a hard time at school, just that he couldn’t afford a lot of things anymore. He had a goal, he was driven, he just didn’t have that much in common with his fellow students.  
“And Jason?”

“Yeah, and Jason, if you don’t mind?” Dick asked.

Tim was curious about Jason too. The current Robin. “No. I don’t mind. You are aware that I am broke, right?”

Dick smiled again. “Yeah, I know. It’ll be fine, Tim. Didn’t you hear? I’m a Wayne.”

Tim didn’t like being a charity case, but he figured it would be fine for one evening. “Okay,” he said.

“Great!” Dick replied.

“Dick, don’t find the most expensive restaurant and club just because you can.”

“Would I do that?”

Tim gave him a look.

“Fine,” Dick said.

Tim was pretty sure he would find the second most expensive club and restaurant. Despite his protest it made him feel warm inside that Dick cared.  
“You know I didn’t tell you when my birthday is,” he said.

“It wasn’t that hard to find out Tim,” Dick replied. “Again?” He asked as he got up from the floor. They still had twenty minutes left of their session.  
Tim nodded.

~+~  
Jason looked bigger in person and Tim felt a bit nervous when he climbed into Dick’s car.  
He had been fumbling with his clothes. He didn’t have that much fancy stuff, and wasn’t sure if this was a suit kind of restaurant. He had settled for black pants, a blue button down that reminded him of Dick’s eyes and matched his own and a jacket. A skinny tie and his sneakers completed the outfit.

“So, Timmy,” Jason said, turning in his seat to look at Tim.

“Tim,” Tim said.

“Sweet sixteen. Ever been kissed?”

“Jason!” Dick said.

“Why? Are you offering?” Tim asked.

Dick laughed, it sounded a bit shocked.

Jason laughed too, he sounded amused. “I see why Dick likes you.”

Tim fought a blush, and ducked his head. “Thanks.”

The rest of the drive was rather silent. Tim didn’t mind. He was watching Gotham fly by and stealing glances at Dick and Jason, who seemed very comfortable with each other until Dick parked the car in front of a French restaurant that Tim knew very well.

“Dick,” Tim said.

“Do you not like French cuisine?” Dick asked, already getting out of the car.

Tim sighed. “That’s not it. This…is very expensive. I know, I’ve been here before.”

Dick looked at him then. “You want to go somewhere you haven’t been before?”

Tim could hear pity in his voice and he didn’t like that at all. “No, it’s fine. You’re paying after all and the food is exquisite here.”

“Dick likes it because he can show off his French language skills,” Jason threw in.

“You speak French?” Tim asked.

“A bit,” Dick replied.

“A bit, my ass,” Jason said, rolling his eyes. “He's pretty much fluent, that circus brat.”

“What other languages do you speak?” Tim asked, he actually didn't know because it was never mentioned in any article about Dick. Romany, Tim guessed, because his parents were. Dick opened the door for Tim and Tim suppressed a blush. This wasn't a date.

“Table for Wayne,” Jason said. Tim barely paid attention to the people around them, he followed Jason to their table as Dick listed the languages he could speak.

“Romany of course, English, French, German not as well as I would like, Spanish and Russian, also not as well as I would like and I can't read it either.”

“Don't forget Korean,” Jason threw in as they reached their table and sat down.  
The waiter handed them menus and talked wine.  
The menu was in French.

“Oh yes, Korean and sign language.”  
Tim was sure sign came in handy when you were a vigilante.

“You need help?” Jason asked.

“With what?” Tim asked, puzzled.

“The menu,” Jason answered.

“No, I understand French,” Tim replied.

“I know enough not to poison myself in a restaurant. B is forever on my case about it. Just not my language, you know?”

“Jay,” Dick warned.

“What? You know he is,” Jason said.

“French is the language of love,” Tim threw in.

Jason laughed. “Wrong. It's not.”

“What is the language of love then?” Tim asked.

“Oh, here we go,” Dick said.

Jason grinned at Tim. “Kissing.”

“Kissing?”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “You'll figure it out.” He turned to Dick. “Picked a wine out yet?”

“Yeah, don't tell Bruce I allowed you to drink alcohol.”

“I know my body is a temple, blah, blah. What he likes to forget is that it's not his temple, but mine,” Jason said. “I'm having the fish. And the gateau.”

“What about an entree?” Tim asked.

“Here is the thing about me, Tim,” Jason said, leaning forward, so he could look Tim in the eyes. Jason's eyes were a dark green and they sparkled with amusement. “I'm more the hotdog, Chinese takeout kind of guy.”

“Indian,” Tim said. “I like Indian, there is this little takeout place just two blocks down from where I live and they have the best vegetarian curry.”

Jason grinned. “We should get it soon, watch a movie, grab a few beers-”

“Jason,” Dick said long suffering.

“Alright, fine. Beer for me, soda for Tim. You can come too,” he said in Dick's direction.

“Did you just invite yourself to my place?” Tim asked.

“Did I? How rude of me, but I'm sure you're too polite to point that out,” Jason grinned and Tim smiled back. He liked Jason.

“I don't have Blu-ray.”

“No problem, as long as you have something to watch movies on,” Jason replied.

“I do,” Tim said.

“By the way your parents suck,” Jason said.

“What?”

“Dick told me about them being dicks because you like cock. It's okay to like cock.”

“Jason!”

“Because you like men,” Jason corrected himself, but Tim could see that he loved to rile Dick up.

“Thank you, I guess,” Tim said.

Jason patted his hand. “Don't mention it. And you should really get that cheese thingy as an entree. It's really good.”

Tim did.

~+~  
After two hours at the restaurant he felt like he had been friends with Dick and Jason for years. It just clicked and Tim hardly ever just clicked with someone.

“You know,” Jason said, as he looked at the stamp on his hand, “By putting this on you they proclaim to the world you're jailbait.”

“Remind me why I took you?” Dick asked.

“Because I'm awesome and because I beat you at – darts,” Jason answered.

“Please try to not break anyone, okay?” Dick asked.

Jason grinned, he grabbed Tim's hand and pulled him into the room. It was loud and a lot of people were dancing and laughing and having a good time.  
This was not really Tim's scene, but it seemed that it was totally Jason's.

“Get drinks!” Jason yelled at Dick before he dragged Tim to the dance floor.

“I can't dance,” Tim said.

“What?” Jason yelled.

“I can't dance,” Tim repeated.

Jason pulled him flush against his body. “I can show you. I'll be gentle as it's your first time.”

“Are you flirting with me?” Tim asked, unbelieving.

“I like to flirt. Or does it make you uncomfortable? Then I'll stop.”

It didn't make Tim uncomfortable. “No. I – I'm good.”

Jason smiled and it was a happy smile. “Let's dance then.”

Tim hadn't thought that he could have so much fun at a club, but with Dick and Jason it was a lot of fun. Both Jason and Dick were great dancers. Tim had thought that Dick would be better, because he was also an aerialist, but Jason was more passionate about it. More in tune with the music. It was a pleasure to watch him.  
Tim was sipping his nonalcoholic fruit drink and watching Jason tear up the dance floor with a pretty blond girl when Dick joined him. He had lost track of Dick for a bit there, but he knew that Dick would never leave him or Jason stranded.

“What are you drinking?”

“Something with mango and coconut,” Tim said. “It's good, want a taste?”

Dick looked at him strangely and then nodded. “Yeah.”

Tim handed him the glass and Dick took a sip. He gave the glass back to Tim and ordered one for himself. They had a table in the VIP area with a great view onto the dance floor. “I'm glad you took me out for my birthday, Dick. Thank you.”

“You having fun then?” Dick asked.

“Yes, I do. And thank you for bringing Jason along.”

“He's a good boy,” Dick said.

Tim nodded. “And he knows how to have fun.”

“Yes, he does,” Dick replied.

“This was no doubt the best birthday I can remember having,” Tim said.

“Aww,” Dick cooed and pulled Tim against his body into a half hug. “And you haven't seen your birthday gift yet.”

“You got me a gift?”

“Sure did,” Dick said. “It's in the car. I'm gonna push it at you after I've driven you home, so neither of us will be embarrassed when you unpack it.”

“Very considerate of you,” Tim said.

Dick laughed and Tim could feel it vibrate in his bones.

~+~  
Dick had been sticking to the nonalcoholic drinks too after the wine at the restaurant, so he was good to drive them home. I was around three in the morning when Tim climbed out of the car.  
True to his word Dick did push a small, prettily wrapped package at him and then drove off.  
Tim stared after them for a moment and then made his way up to his apartment. He felt good and giddy and happy. He unwrapped the gift. It was a phone and both Dick's and Jason's numbers were already in the contacts. Tim already had a phone of course but not one like this.  
He felt touched when he took of the case and discovered that there was also a tracker. Dick cared about him.  
He texted Dick from his new phone.  
Thanks.  
The reply came a few seconds later.  
You're welcome.

“Best birthday ever,” Tim said to the empty apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

~Four~  
Of course being friends with Dick and Jason complicated things. Tim had less time for his crusade and it didn’t even bother him that much.   
His reasoning was, if Nightwing and Robin could take the time out of their busy schedule, so could he.   
He was invited to Dick’s apartment regularly now. Often Jason was there too. 

“I got Indian takeout,” Tim said as he entered Dick’s apartment on a Saturday evening. 

“Great,” Dick replied and pulled him into a hug. It was a thing Dick did and it made Tim’s stomach flip. Every single time. “Jay loves that place you showed him. Grabs food there whenever he’s in the neighborhood.”

“Can’t imagine that’s very often,” Tim said, as Dick let go of him. 

“You’d be surprised.” 

Tim probably wouldn’t. He knew that both Dick and Jason were checking in on him. Since he became friends with them Nightwing was seen more often in Tim’s neighborhood. It made Tim’s life more complicated.   
Dick and Jason scheduled their lives around being vigilantes, Tim scheduled his around being a werewolf. 

“And he doesn’t drop by? I’m hurt,” Tim replied, mock hurt. 

But Dick looked at him with his piercing blue eyes. “You want us to drop by unannounced?” 

If he were anyone else, really anyone, he would have said yes in a heartbeat. But he wasn’t so he just shook his head. Dick busied himself with grabbing plates and glasses.   
Tim’s secret was hanging between them, but Tim refused to feel guilty, Dick’s secret was hanging between them too. 

“What are we watching?” Tim asked after a few too silent moments. 

“Jay didn’t say. It’s a surprise. He should be here in a bit.”  
Tim nodded. 

~+~  
The more he was hanging out with Dick, the more he dreamed about Dick too.   
The dreams were a mix of very erotic and disturbing.   
It was most likely his wolf nature that was ready to hunt Dick down and sink his teeth into Dick’s shoulder, neck, or any other part of skin and flesh he chose to mark. The wolf wanted Dick, Tim was going insane with need when he woke up from these dreams. He had to bite the pillow hard when he stroked himself to completion upon waking, because he just knew otherwise he would howl. 

But staying away from Dick wasn’t an option either.   
Before Dick and Jay carved out a space in Tim’s life for themselves he hadn’t even known how much he had missed having friends just to hang out with. He didn’t want to lose that. No matter his complicated feelings for Dick. 

~+~  
Tim didn’t make it a habit to run where he was pretty sure Nighwing would be, but sometimes the instinct to hunt took over.   
Tim switched off his brain then and let the wolf be in charge. The wolf was crafty about it too. Smart. He never let Dick see him. The wolf, Tim, was a shadow amongst shadows.   
Except when Dick was hurt. 

Tim heard the scuffle and groans and ran in that direction. Dick’s blood was on the wind.   
He rounded a corner and attacked without hesitation. Everything in him screamed to protect Dick.   
Dick was holding his own alright, Tim noticed between taking down thugs.   
Once it was over Tim looked at Dick, who was staring at him too. He knew how he must look: wild, feral, with blood on his fur.   
It seemed like neither of them breathed for a long time, but Tim knew it wasn’t true. He could feel his lungs working and his heart pumping. Could feel the adrenalin cruising through his veins.   
There was a gash on Dick’s cheek. It looked ugly. Tim made a step forward and then another. Dick was standing with his back against a brick wall. 

“Saved by a wolf,” Dick said. 

Tim cocked his head and then sat down in front of Dick. He needed to lick that gash. It would help Dick heal. Wouldn’t even leave a scar.   
Dick crouched down so they were on the same eyelevel. 

“I know you,” Dick said. 

Tim said nothing. Didn’t make a noise at all. He blinked at Dick instead and Dick came closer, offering his palm to Tim so he could sniff it. Tim did and let Dick run his fingers over his fur. It felt nice to be petted like that. He waited for Dick to lean closer and then he licked the blood from Dick’s face. 

“Shit,” Dick said. “Shouldn’t have done that, buddy. It’s probably gonna get infected.”   
Tim licked him again and Dick buried his nose in Tim’s fur. “You smell really nice for a wolf running around Gotham City.”   
Dick’s hand in his fur tightened. “Should probably call animal control.”

Tim whined and panicked. He growled at Dick and it just startled Dick enough so Tim could tear free from his grip and run. It hurt inside him. Those words. He saved Dick’s life and Dick wanted to hand him over to fucking Animal Control.   
The betrayal hurt, but what hurt more was that he let himself trust Dick. Stupid of him. He should have known better. 

He ran home as fast as he could, taking a zigzag course just to be sure to the hiding place he left his clothes. Once he was human and dressed again, he had to fight the urge to run all the way. He tried to see the situation form Dick’s point of view. He had to protect the city and a wolf running around could pose a danger. On the other hand: the wolf had helped Dick. There were no reports of people being attacked by wolves or even dogs. Tim thought he deserved the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty.   
Once he got home, he showered and fell into bed. He felt exhausted and empty. Usually when he came back from a run he felt full of energy and happy.   
He turned his face into the pillow and closed his eyes.   
Sleep came fast and he didn’t dream. 

~+~  
“You’re avoiding me,” Dick said, he was standing right in Tim’s door. And Tim had only opened it because he was waiting for Mrs. Romanov to bring him the leftovers she talked about when he saw her dragging her groceries up after he came home from school. 

Tim wanted to slam the door in Dick’s face, but the thing was Dick didn’t even know what he did wrong and Tim couldn’t tell him. He looked up at Dick. There was no trace of the gash Tim had licked only a few days ago. It healed up like it was never there in the first place. And Dick wanted to hand him over to Animal Control. The wolf bristled at the thought. Tim took a deep calming breath. 

“I’m not avoiding you,” Tim said. Of course it was a lie. Tim was avoiding Dick. He had canceled their practice and declined one invitation to hang out. He had told Dick he was busy with a school project, which wasn’t even a lie, but schoolwork was hardly ever a challenge for Tim. 

“If you’re not, can I come in?” 

“You’re already here,” Tim answered and stepped aside to let Dick in. “You want something to drink?” 

“Sure,” Dick said as he flopped down on Tim’s couch. 

Tim poured them both juice and put the glasses on the coffee table. There was silence as Dick looked at Tim and then let his eyes slide over the apartment.   
Tim itched to break the silence, but knew it was a tactic. Dick wanted him to spill and Tim wouldn’t. Because what could he tell Dick? Except more lies? 

He was spared by the doorbell. “That’s Mrs. Romanov,” he said and went to let her in.   
She didn’t stay long, just long enough so Tim had to introduce Dick. But he was pretty sure, she knew Dick’s face from the gossip magazines. She made Pirozhki, which Tim had learned to love. 

“What’s that?” Dick asked, trying to peer under the lid of the container. 

“Pirozhki,” Tim replied. 

“I loved those as a kid,” Dick said. 

Tim smiled, couldn’t help himself. Dick’s parents had Eastern European roots. “You want some?”

“Yeah,” Dick answered. “So, why are you avoiding me?” Dick wanted to know once the polished off the Pirozhki. 

“I only canceled twice,” Tim said. 

“Yes, but you never canceled practice before Tim.” He looked at Tim and Tim tried not to show how that made him feel. “I have the feeling I did something wrong. Messed up somehow, but I can’t figure out how. Jay said to just man up and apologize and you know I would if I knew what I did to hurt you. I don’t want you to be pissed at me, Tim. So, I’m apologizing. ” 

“Thank you Dick.”

“But you know it would make more sense if I knew what I did to mess up, so I won’t do it again.” 

“I can’t tell you,” Tim replied. 

Dick nodded. “But we’re good now?”

“I wonder about you sometime, Dick,” Tim said. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah, why is it that you want me in your life? I mean, I’m just a stupid kid.” 

“You’re not stupid and you know it. You’re smart, and I like to hang out with you.” 

“You already have a little brother,” Tim said. 

“Yeah, but you’re not Jay,” Dick replied. 

Tim privately thought that he and Jay had a lot in common actually. Both with parents who didn’t care, both living their own lonely lives from a young age. Both of them hiding secrets, craving to be loved and recognized. Jason was a kindred spirit. 

“I see, I’m your calm rock,” Tim teased. 

“You are,” Dick said and Tim could tell he meant it. So what if he couldn’t tell Dick about his secret? He just had to stay away from Dick when in wolf form. He’d make it work somehow. 

~+~  
“You and Dick kissed and made up then?” Jay asked as they were walking to Jason’s car. He had been waiting for Tim in front of the school. Tim was sure rumors were already flying right now. Tim Drake walking away with the infamous Wayne son. Jason had a bit of a reputation as a bad boy. Nothing too out there, nothing that could damage the Wayne name, but he was a wild child. 

“Seems so.” 

Jason exhaled smoke. “You didn’t tell him how he fucked up.”

“No,” Tim replied. 

“You have a secret, Tim Drake,” Jason said. 

Tim looked at his profile then. “Don’t you?” 

Jason didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, I guess I do. Everyone has.” 

“Yes,” Tim said. 

“You know he’s not friends with you out of pity, right?” Jason asked out of the blue. 

“I know,” Tim answered. He had been thinking about it, but Dick wasn’t the kind of person who would befriend someone out of pity. Tim knew that Dick really liked to spend time with him. 

“Good, don’t want you to get the wrong ideas or anything.” 

“Jay,” Tim said, “I know you guys care about me. I know you could be hanging out with whoever you want –“

“They aren’t half as interesting as you are, Tim,” Jason cut in. 

Tim wanted to protest that he wasn’t that interesting at all, but really, he was probably like catnip for people who loved to solve puzzles and uncover mysteries. 

“Thanks I guess.” 

“You are welcome,” Jason replied. He finished his cigarette just as they reached Jason’s car. “Want a ride?” 

“I thought that was why you came here in the first place,” Tim said. “To pick me up.” 

“Nah, I came to stir shit up,” Jason replied with a grin. “Get in the car.” 

Tim did.   
Jason stopped at a diner and they got burgers and milkshakes before he drove Tim home. 

“So, before I forget, there is this Wayne thing happening in a few weeks and you are invited.” He handed Tim a heavy soft envelope. 

“You mean the charity gala at Wayne manor, that kinda thing?” Tim asked. 

“Yeah, it’s boring as hell. I hope you’ll come,” he grinned. 

“I-“

“If you don’t have anything to wear Cinderella Dick will be thrilled to be your fairy godmother.”

Tim blinked. “Why would Dick be the fairy godmother?” 

“Because I’m prince charming, obviously,” Jason said with a wink. 

Tim laughed. “I’ll be fine.” 

“I do like that skinny tie of yours,” Jason said. 

“I’m gonna wear it then,” Tim replied. 

“You’re coming?” 

“Free food and drinks, yes, Jay, I’m coming.” 

“Good,” Jason said. 

Tim put the invitation into his bag and got out of the car.   
Leaving his parents’ house was the best decision he had made.


	5. Chapter 5

~Five~  
“Cozening up to the Waynes, I see,” Mother said. Tim should have known she would be here. She and Mister Wayne were neighbors after all and the Drakes were rich enough.  
She had cornered him and the grip on his arm was bruising. It would heal as soon as he shifted but for now he had to endure the pain. 

“It's none of your concern, Mother,” Tim replied. 

“Don't call me that,” she hissed. Her nails were biting into his skin, even through the layers of clothes he was wearing. He could feel the old dread and fear he had felt as a child surface again when she took out the silver. “Of course it's my concern, I don't want these nice boys to be torn to shreds just because they don't know what a dangerous beast you are.” 

“I would never hurt anyone,” Tim said. 

“You hurt me and your father by existing alone. I can't imagine what you could do if you tried, Timothy.” That one hurt and she knew it, because she smiled. 

“You can't tell me who to befriend anymore.” 

“I guess I can't,” she replied, straightening. “But maybe Mister Wayne will listen.”

“You want to go over there and tell him you threw me out because-”

“You left because you wanted to,” Mother cut in sharply. “I did everything I could.”

Except for loving me, Tim thought. “Let go,” he said. “I will cause a scene.” 

She looked at him and then let go. Disgust clearly written on her face. “You shouldn’t live among real people.” 

Tim bit his lip until he could taste blood, but didn't reply. He just left her in that alcove and joined the party again. It was ruined for him of course now and that was clearly her intention. She didn't want him anywhere near her or her home or her husband. 

“Here you are,” Jason said, taking his arm like a gentleman would do with a lady. Tim couldn’t muster up the energy to comment on it. “I was looking for you.” 

“I just arrived,” Tim said. 

“Now, don't lie. I know your taxi left at least twenty minutes ago, Tim.” 

Tim put a smile on his face. “Aww, were you waiting for me?”

“Maybe,” Jason allowed. “I told you I get so bored at these things. Not my scene at all. But we have to make an appearance. Heirs and all.” 

“Dick doesn't seem to mind,” Tim observed. He had spotted Dick a moment ago. He was smiling charmingly at a pretty woman. 

“He likes to charm the panties off the society girls.”

“And you don't?” 

“I like to dance in clubs and get my cock sucked in backrooms,” Jason said. 

Tim choked on air. 

“You okay?” Jason asked, patting him on the back. 

“Yes, I'm fine...just, yes.” 

“Too crude?” Jason asked. 

“Yes, no...I don't mind. Was just surprised, is all.”

“Didn't peck you for a delicate flower,” Jason said. 

“I'm not, but -”

“I get it. You were born into this. I bet you had piano lessons, and dance lessons and all kinds of other shit.” 

“Do you like living here, with Mister Wayne, Jason?” Tim asked. 

Jason grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to Tim. Neither of them was legally allowed to drink, but it seemed that no one would stop them either. Tim took a sip. 

“It beats living on the streets, but sometimes...I miss the freedom.” 

“Yeah,” Tim said. 

“I guess you would know about that. I wonder about you Tim. You left your warm comfortable home because your parents are homophobic douchebags and I respect that, but you don't seem to do a whole lot with your freedom.” 

“What do you mean?” Tim asked, he had a feeling he knew where this was going, but it wouldn’t do any harm to have it confirmed. 

“You should be making out with cute boys at least, Tim. At best you should get blown by cute boys.”

“I don't think I'm the one-night stand kind of person,” Tim said. 

“Find someone to have fun with Tim.” 

“I have fun with you,” Tim shot back. 

Jason grinned. “Everyone has fun with me.” 

“I didn't mean-”

Jason steered him out of the ballroom. “Hey, it's fine. Don't panic.” He finished the glass of champagne and took Tim's out of his hand, put it on a nearby table in the shadowy hall. Tim could hear the music and laughter and snippets of conversations from the other room. They weren't that far away. Tim could easily find his way back to the party. 

“I'm not panicking, Jason.” 

“You ever kissed a guy?” Jason asked. 

Tim shook his head. 

“You should,” Jason said. 

“You can't just tell me to go and kiss people, Jason,” Tim said, crossing his arms over his chest. Tim knew exactly who he wanted to kiss. Dick. 

“Not doing that, but I'm offering to take you to a club this weekend, so you can check people out. Maybe you'll see someone you'll like.” 

“I'll think about it,” Tim said, relaxing. 

“Please do,” Jason replied. “Now come on. I bet B is having a heart attack imaging all the things I could be doing with you while he can't see me.”

“I guess kissing is the least of his worries?” 

Jason smirked. “Yeah it is. You know the first week I lived here I stole a shitload of stuff just in case.” 

“In case of what?” 

“That he realizes that I'm nothing and nobody and sends me back.” 

“He would never do that Jason. He wanted you to be part of his family. He chose you.” 

“Yeah, and I wondered why. He had Dick already. And everyone loves Dick.” 

“Dick loves you,” Tim said. 

Jason smiled at him. “He does.” 

“No matter what people might say or think, Jason. Dick loves you, Mister Wayne too. You belong here.” 

“Aren't you the little genius.” 

Tim ducked his head. “Thanks.” 

“Come on, really we need to go back before B starts to freak out,” Jason said, grabbing Tim's arm again. 

Tim knew they had to go back to the party, but he actually enjoyed being here with Jason. Jason's never been so open with him before.  
He wished he could tell Jason all of his secrets too. But that wasn't possible. Not after what Dick wanted to do to the wolf that had rescued him twice. That one still hurt, but he was getting over it and he knew that if Dick or Jason should be in danger again and he could help, he would do it again in a heartbeat. He just wouldn’t linger anymore, not let them get close to him. The risk of waking up in a cage (again) was too great. 

~+~  
Dick drove him home. Tim had been fully prepared to take a taxi once most of the guest started to leave around one o’clock. Dick wouldn’t hear any of it. 

“I saw your mother at the party,” Dick said. He was looking at Tim from the corner of his eye. 

“Yes,” Tim replied. “I saw her too.” 

“Should have known she would be invited. Bruce doesn't like all the people who are, you know?”

“I know Dick. It's fine.” 

“No, it's not. I know she had been nasty to you, Tim.” 

“How?” 

“Saw you when she left you alone. Jay saw it too.” 

“That why he was so...attentive?” Tim asked and didn't know how he felt about it. It was a nice thing to do, but on the other hand, Tim was totally able to take care of himself. 

“Nah, I think he just likes you. Beats me why, you’re such a prickly character,” Dick answered. Tim could hear the smile in in his voice. 

“I’ve been called worse,” Tim said. 

Dick looked at him then. “Don’t let her hurt you.” 

“She’s my mother, Dick of course she knows how to hurt me. The people you loved once always do. I try to stay away from her. I didn’t think…I should have known she would be there, but I just didn’t think about her. I was looking forward to this.” 

“Bruce was too. He’d like to meet you.”

“He knows who I am, Dick. I lived next door. I’ve been to these things often,” Tim said. 

“Yeah, but back then you were just another rich boy, you know? Now you’re my and Jay’s friend.”

“Okay.” It made Tim feel warm inside hearing the words. He had always wanted to be friends with Dick and later Jason, but of course as long as he was living at his parents’ house that hadn’t been an option. Now he could take the chance. 

“So, he asked to meet you, you know for dinner.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t worry, me and Jay will be there. Alfred will cook your favorites.” 

“You don’t know my favorites, Dick,” Tim said. “Wait, Alfred will cook? You mean Bruce Wayne wants me to come to dinner. At his house.” 

“Yes,” Dick said. “It’s not a big deal.” 

“Liar. It is. He doesn’t invite people over for dinner. He meets people for dinner in expensive restaurants.” 

“Okay, fine it’s a big deal, but we are like any other family out there, don’t be awed.” 

“Pff,” Tim said. “I’m not.”

“Good, he’ll like you. And even if not, it doesn’t matter. I and Jay like you.” Dick’s voice sounded firm and sincere. 

“I’ll mail you a list with my favorite foods,” Tim said. 

“Thank you,” Dick replied.  
Tim glanced out of the window: they were nearly there. Home sweet home. He felt a bit like Cinderella. “I’ll text you the details for the dinner as soon as Bruce tells me when he’s free.” 

“Okay,” Tim said as Dick parked the car in front of Tim’s building. “Thank you for driving me home.” 

“My pleasure,” Dick replied and smiled at Tim. 

Tim smiled back. He had a warm happy feeling inside his chest and kept it close to his heart until he fell asleep.

~+~  
The wolf was getting restless again and just in time too, Tim thought. He was finally on to that scumbag Lenz who had swindled families out of their homes. He was small fish in the grand scheme of things, sure, but Tim didn’t like him and he had to pay. He sent the evidence to Dick again and hoped he would take care of it. Tim felt good, he wanted to run.  
He decided it would be safer to run close to his own neighborhood this time. He longed for a forest or at least a park, but those were closer to where the rich and famous lived and people called Animal Control at once, but here people tended to just ignore a big dog.  
The air was still crisp with the last remains of winter. The wolf wasn’t hungry, because Tim ate, but he wanted to hunt, so Tim let instinct take over. 

Usually the wolf stuck to rats or feral cats, sometimes a bird too if it wasn’t fast enough. Tim thought he should maybe feel sad at the thought of killing something, but he wasn’t. He accepted it as part of what he was. Who he was.  
He was different than other human beings and he would never be happy if he didn’t acknowledge that difference. Tim knew that now. He liked being a wolf. He loved being so strong and fast and agile. He liked the thrill of the chase, even the thrill of the kill.  
This city was the wolf’s playground if he was careful.  
And Tim had learned his lesson, he was being careful.  
He sniffed out a few rats, hunted some just for the fun of it and then killed one to eat it before he went home in the early morning hours.  
Then he fell into bed and dreamed of pinning down Dick and making him moan while he licked every inch of Dick’s skin, claiming him as his own.


	6. Chapter 6

~Six~

“Nightwing told me about you,” Robin said, as Tim licked around the bullet wound on his shoulder. It had only graced Jason, but it had to be really painful. Tim could do something about it and right now. There wouldn’t even be a scar. Jason kept his hands to himself.   
Tim was grateful for that. 

“Didn’t really believe him. I mean, yeah, we see a lot of strange shit here in Gotham, but a wolf that randomly saves people? A bit out there.” He closed his eyes. “That feels nice actually. With anyone else I would be freaking out because of germs and infection or what not, but you…you are something else, aren’t you?”   
Tim finished licking the wound clean and nuzzled Robin’s neck. 

Jason made to grab him and he stepped away. “Nightwing spooked you, hmm? Can’t blame you.”  
He gingerly touched the wound and then looked at Tim. “You are a fucking miracle worker, aren’t you?” Jason stood up. “Thanks. You better run now, because I’m sure Batman will be here any moment.”

Tim nodded and ran. His heart felt light. Dick had talked about him with Jason! And Jason didn’t try to catch him and call Animal Patrol to take him away and lock him up.   
He was in a good mood the whole next day. 

~+~  
Tim was nervous. He had met Bruce Wayne before, of course, but now it was different. Now he was going to be a permanent fixture in Dick’s and Jason’s lives. At least he hoped. At least as long as they didn’t know about his secret.   
A car had picked him up, which was nice, because taxis were really expensive, and he rather not take the bike.   
Alfred was at the door as the car parked and the driver let Tim out. 

“Mister Pennyworth,” Tim said. 

“Master Timothy,” Alfred replied. 

“Tim please, Tim is fine,” Tim said. 

“Master Tim,” Alfred smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.” 

Alfred made small talk while showing him to the dining room. It was not as big as Tim had thought and felt nice and warm. Mister Wayne was playing around with a tablet as Tim and Alfred entered. He put it on the table and smiled at Tim. 

“Timothy Drake,” he said. 

“Tim please,” Tim replied, “Thank you for the invitation.” He felt a bit overdressed now that he saw Mister Wayne, but he didn’t feel embarrassed of his button down and the skinny tie. Jason liked the skinny tie. 

“Dick tells me you don’t live with your parents anymore,” Bruce Wayne said.   
Well, of course he’s not going to ignore that, Tim thought, no matter that he usually liked to project a careless façade. 

“I don’t. I’m striking out on my own. So to speak.”

Bruce Wayne nodded. “Tell me about yourself then.”

“Jez, B, that’s not a speed date you’re on,” Jason said, entering the dining room. 

“He’s a bit young for me,” Bruce Wayne replied, with a raised eyebrow. 

“Don’t even. I know for a fact you go out with models my age,” Jason shot back. 

“They are legal in Europe,” Bruce said. 

Jason grinned. “Come on, Tim, sit down. Alfred made all your favorites.” 

“Really? Because that list was very long,” Tim said. 

“Alfred likes a challenge.”

“I thought keeping this house running smoothly and without incident was challenge enough,” Tim said and then ducked his head. It was okay to shoot the shit when he was only with Dick and Jason, but being so mouthy in front of the fucking Batman? 

Jason laughed and when Tim looked up again, he saw a smile curve around Bruce Wayne’s lips.   
It was okay then. 

“What are we laughing about?” Dick asked, he had a plate of mini quiche in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. 

“No manners that one,” Jason stage whispered. 

Tim smiled.   
Dick gave him a look, sat the plate down and then hugged Tim. Tim breathed him in and felt his whole body relax. 

“Stop molesting Tim and let’s eat,” Jason said. 

Dick hugged him for a moment longer and then let go. 

They sat down for dinner.   
Bruce Wayne was really skilled in conversation. He could make you feel at ease, made you spill all kinds of things, without revealing much of anything about himself. Tim admired that. He studied it. It would be very useful once he established himself. He caught on to this game fast, and knew that Bruce Wayne caught on to him catching on.   
He smiled at Tim in that way Tim imagined a proud parent would. He couldn’t remember any more if either of his parents ever looked at him that way. 

After dinner Mister Wayne excused himself, but Jason and Dick invited him to the media room. 

“It’s still early,” Jason said, grabbing a bag of chips. “Let’s watch a movie.”

Jason chose a werewolf film, Tim caught Dick giving Jason a look. “It’s not a werewolf,” Dick said. 

“It is,” Jason replied. “I’ve seen all the movies and read all the books.”

“Fiction!” Dick said. 

“What are you talking about?” Tim asked. He was pretty sure they were talking about him.

“Okay, so there is this wolf prowling the streets of Gotham, helping the innocent and what not.”

“Okay…” Tim said. 

“I’ve seen it. I spoke to it,” Jason said. 

“Did it talk back?” Dick asked. 

“Don’t be stupid, Grayson,” Jason replied. “Wolves can’t talk. But he understands every word, because it’s not an ordinary wolf.” 

“Hence his obsession with werewolves!” 

“You wanted to call Animal Control on him!” Jason said. 

“Sane thing to do with a wild animal prowling the streets,” Dick replied in a way that let Tim know they had this conversation before. 

“It’s not harming anyone,” Jason said. “What do you think?” he asked Tim. 

“If it’s not harming anyone, why put it in a cage?” Tim asked. 

“Yeah,” Jason replied. He was smiling at Tim. “But do you believe it’s a werewolf?” 

“We have vigilantes and insane clowns and all kinds of other things usually only found in comic books, so why not?” He didn’t even know why he said it. The smarter thing to do would be to deny he believed in werewolves, but the truth was Tim didn’t want to deny it. He was one and he would not deny his existence. “And if it’s a werewolf, you should absolutely not call Animal Control on it, Dick,” Tim added. 

“It’s really ungrateful as it saved your life and everything,” Jason said. 

“Did it?” Tim asked. 

Dick threw Jason a look. “It may or may not have helped me,” Dick admitted. Tim didn’t press for any details. It wasn’t like Dick could have told him the truth anyway. Besides Tim knew how this whole thing went down. He had been there. 

“You really shouldn’t call Animal Control on it then,” Tim said. 

“I’ve learned my lesson,” Dick replied. 

Tim really hoped so. 

~+~  
Tim kept an eye on Dick and Jason, and even Batman, but he wasn’t going anywhere near the Batman. It was too dangerous.   
Sometimes he let Robin see him, when Robin was patrolling alone. He let Robin run his fingers through his fur. Stolen moments of intimacy and human warmth. 

“You know, it’s not even a full moon tonight,” Jason said. “And that’s why Nightwing gives me shit for my werewolf theory, but it’s either werewolf, or a meta-animal,” Jason said, scratching behind Tim’s ears. “And to be perfectly honest, wolf, I would like you to turn into a human by day.” He grinned at Tim and Tim licked his face. 

Jason laughed. “Wish I could take you home.” 

Yeah, Tim thought, he would have liked that too, but he wasn’t going to stay a wolf for the rest of his life just so he could stay close to Jason and Dick. There were human matters after all that needed his attention. 

The comm in Jason’s ear made a noise and Jason got up from his crouch. “Okay, time to go. Need to work for my living. See you – when I see you, I guess!” He threw a smile over his shoulder and then shot the grapple gun. Tim watched him until he heard someone screaming for help. Well, he was in the neighborhood, he could at least check it out.   
He saved a teenage boy from a mugging that night, without biting any of his attackers, but they would have a few pretty bruises from where Tim had run at them. They were too afraid to do much with their knives once they saw him. Tim let them go, but he committed their faces to memory. He’d look them up in the police database. Maybe one of them had a record already and Tim could tip someone off.   
All in all it had been a good night. 

~+~  
“You’re holding back,” Jason commented from where he was watching them spar. 

Tim ignored him, because Dick was coming at him hard and fast. Tim had to use a lot more strength than he was happy with. It only confirmed Jason’s suspicion.   
Once Dick was done with him, after Tim had tapped the mat twice in surrender, he grabbed a bottle of water and wiped the sweat from his forehead. 

“Why are you holding back Tim?” Jason asked. “I mean I get it when it’s an opponent, you wouldn’t want to show all your cards at once, but Dick is training you, so he should know your full strength.”

Tim sighed. He was a freak of nature and he was okay with it, but he wasn’t sure his new friends would be. Jason…maybe Jason would. He had the wolf’s back after all. He glanced at Dick. Dick on the other hand…not so much. And he really didn’t want to lose Dick. 

“Just drop it,” Tim said. 

Jason frowned. “Not gonna happen in the long run.” 

Tim had to smile at that. “I know. But maybe by then I will be ready to tell you.”

“You don’t trust us,” Dick said simply. 

Tim gave him a look. They didn’t trust him either. But he couldn’t let on that he knew they were vigilante by night.   
“Not with this, no,” Tim replied. 

“I guess it’s a step forward that you even admit there is a secret, a mystery even, here,” Jason said. 

“Everyone has secrets Jason,” Tim smiled. 

For a moment it looked like Jason wanted to press the matter but then he just nodded. “So, dinner?”   
He got up and stretched. He looked so graceful Tim thought. Not as graceful and fluid as Dick, of course, but Jason had the grace of a big cat. Powerful. It made Tim’s insides quiver a little. “There is this new Russian place I wanna check out.” 

“Russian?” Dick asked, “Really?”

“Tim told me all about your dirty food secrets, Grayson,” Jason grinned. 

Dick grinned right back.   
Tim just shook his head at them.


	7. Chapter 7

~Seven~  
“I don’t swim,” Tim said. 

“You can’t swim?” Jason asked, between bites of chicken. 

“No, I can swim, I just don’t.”

“You shy?” Jason asked. “You have really no need to feel shy around us and besides what I’ve seen of your body, it’s pretty fit.”

Tim blushed, because the compliment was so unexpected. “I…thank you?”

Jason grinned. “You are welcome. So coming over for dinner and a swim on Friday or not? You know I’m all alone in the stupid mansion, Bruce and Dick are…on business.” 

Tim knew that Nightwing and Batman weren’t in town and Robin had been patrolling alone for the last two nights.  
“And you have school,” Tim said. 

“Yeah. I didn’t want to go anyway,” he replied, finishing his chicken. “Don’t leave me hanging.” 

“I’ll come over, but I won’t swim.”

“Fine, you can watch me. It’ll probably fuel your sexual fantasies for months to come seeing me wet and mostly naked.”

“I’m sure I can restrain myself,” Tim said deadpan. 

Jason grinned. 

~+~  
The funny part was as Jason stared at him, the funny part was that he had known deep down that this would happen. 

“Tim-“

“Well, that is why I don’t live with my mother anymore,” Tim said, wringing out his t-shirt. Maybe a part of him wanted someone to know, maybe a part of him wanted Jason to know. 

“She did that to you?” Jason asked. 

“Yes,” Tim answered. 

“Sick psycho bitch,” Jason said and Tim had to laugh. He couldn’t help himself. It was a shocked laugh for sure, but it was a laugh. 

“Can’t argue that,” Tim replied. 

“You can barrow some of my clothes and I’m sorry I dragged you into the pool. I mean - you know what? I’m not. I’m glad I’ve seen it. Jesus someone had to know.” He looked from the scars on Tim’s chest and into Tim’s face. “Why didn’t you tell Dick?”

Tim shrugged. Was glad Jason didn’t see the scars on his thighs and ass. “I didn’t want him to look at me differently.” 

“He wouldn’t.”

“Jason-“

“Okay, he would, but…this is serious shit. She can’t get away with it.” 

“She already did,” Tim replied. 

“How long?” 

“Since I was eleven.” 

“So, she what snapped when you figured out you like guys?” Jason asked. 

Tim shrugged. He didn’t want to lie to Jason, but he wasn’t ready to tell Jason or anyone the real reason for his scars and his mother’s hatred yet.  
“No wonder you’ve been so cagey, shit. These look really nasty,” Jason added. “Do they hurt?”

“Not anymore,” Tim replied. 

“Come on, let’s get you under a shower and into some nice comfy clothes and I’ll tell Alfred to make you hot chocolate.”

“I’m not a kid anymore,” Tim said, but it was only a token protest. 

“You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy hot chocolate,” Jason replied and handed Tim a fluffy towel. 

Tim followed him upstairs to his room, took a shower, put on the clothes Jason had thrown at him and once he was outside again, Jason was sitting on the bed with a mug of chocolate and another on a tray on the nightstand for Tim. There were tiny marshmallows in it too. And sandwiches on a plate. 

“You wanna stay over?” 

Tim thought about it, it would be nice and he didn’t have any projects that needed his attention over the next few days.  
“Sure.”

“Great, I’ll let Alfred know, he will make a room up for you in the guest wing.”

Tim knew the guest wing was on the other side of the manor and he didn’t ask why the guests of the manor were put so far away from the family. Bruce Wayne needed to protect his secrets and so did Robin. 

When Jason was going on patrol tonight, maybe Tim could sneak out and run as well. The woods at the back of the estate were dense enough so he wouldn’t be discovered. Tim longed to be able to roam for a while, just a few hours.  
“Thank you Jason.” 

“Whatever the hell for?” Jason asked. 

Tim shrugged. “Being my friend.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that, Tim. You’re a bit messed up, aren’t you?”

Tim put up his barrowed t-shirt and showed the silvery scars on his stomach in reply.  
Jason shook his head, but smiled. “I have a new werewolf movie,” he said, patting the space beside him on the bed. Tim came over willingly. 

~+~  
The wolf recoiled. It wasn’t the first time the wolf recoiled, but this time it was hard for Tim to keep going. The wolf could smell the crazy, the madness, the insanity. And its first instinct was to flee, and the second one was to tear the crazy man’s throat out. A thing like that had to be put down. Tim knew better. If he killed he would be on the Batman’s bad side. So far he had been left alone by all the vigilantes in town. Tim was pretty sure it was mostly because of Robin. 

He could smell blood too, and he knew that smell all too well. It was Robin’s. Against his better judgment he ran in the direction of the blood and madness.  
He skidded to a halt, took the scene in and then charged. Tim had never seen the Joker before. He had assumed the Joker was dead, they hadn’t heard of him in years, but here he was and he was standing over Robin with a crowbar. Jason was already pretty out of it and Tim knew that a few licks wouldn’t heal Jason’s broken bones. Jason needed a doctor, a hospital. Tim needed to get the Joker away from him. He ran at the Joker who seemed surprised to see a small wolf in the warehouse. Tim had picked the lock and then transformed, he was stronger and faster in his wolf form and no one could pin anything on Tim Drake if the wolf hurt the Joker badly, which the wolf would do. Tim knew it, Tim wanted it and the wolf wanted it too. Jason was pack to the wolf and the wolf would protect his pack. 

The wolf made quick work of the Joker and then Tim shifted into human form. He was shivering and bruised, but he was better off than Jason. For a moment Tim didn’t know what to do. Batman was away and Nightwing was away and Tim could not call the paramedics because Jason was Robin. He ran outside, grabbed his clothes and called Alfred. 

He stayed with Robin until Alfred rushed in. He was holding Robin’s hand and talking nonsense and he didn’t even know if Jason could hear him. 

“Master Timothy,” Alfred said and Tim made room for him. 

“It’s really bad,” Tim whispered. 

“Yes,” Alfred replied. “Could you help me carry him to the car?”

“Yes,” Tim answered and picked Jason up carefully. He was running on instinct and adrenalin and he didn’t think about what it would look like. He a small boy picking up someone so much bigger and heavier than himself. Alfred didn’t say a word. Tim put Jason in the backseat and climbed in with him.  
Alfred started the car. 

~+~  
Tim was pacing the medibay while Alfred was busy saving Jason’s life. Once Jason was breathing regularly again Alfred looked at Tim. 

“Young man, you knew who to call.”

Tim shrugged. “I knew from the beginning that Jason was Robin, that Dick is Nightwing.”

“I see,” Alfred replied. He didn’t ask about Tim’s strength. Tim was glad for it.

“I don’t suppose this could stay our secret?” Tim asked. 

“I am afraid not,” Alfred said. 

“Will he make it?” 

“Yes, thanks to you, young sir.” 

“No need to thank me, really,” Tim said with a glance at Jason. 

“Would you care for some tea and maybe a snack?” 

“I…” Tim began, but thought better of it. “Yes, that would be nice. Can I stay here for a bit?”

“Of course. Please don’t touch anything,” Alfred said. 

“I won’t,” Tim replied, dragging a chair to Jason’s bed. He waited for Alfred to leave the room, took off his clothes and transformed into the wolf. He cleaned the cuts and bruises so they would heal without any scars. That was really the only thing he could do right now for Jason. Once he was satisfied with his work, he shifted back and put on his clothes. He could hear and smell Alfred on the stairs outside. 

“There are cameras here,” Alfred said. 

“I know,” Tim replied. 

“I see,” Alfred said, putting the tray down. 

“I didn’t want to lie to them, but I didn’t see how…people have secrets and some of them could cost them their lives,” Tim whispered. 

“Like being Nightwing,” Alfred said. 

“I guess.” He looked at Jason again. “I knew I couldn’t hide it forever if I wanted to be friends with them. I just didn’t think…I wanted to tell them on my terms, work up to it.” Tim sighed. “Nothing I can do about it now.” 

“I’m sure everything will turn out alright, Master Tim.”  
Tim really hoped so. 

~+~  
Dick’s scent woke Tim. He blinked and looked up at Dick, who was standing over Jason’s bed. 

“He’s sleeping. Alfred gave him sedatives,” Tim said, instantly alert. 

“He doesn’t have a single scratch, that was you, wasn’t it?” Dick asked. 

Tim shrugged. “It was the only thing I could do for him.” 

“You found him, you called Alfred,” Dick pointed out. 

“I couldn’t heal him, he was wounded too badly.” 

Dick shook his head. “How long have you known?” 

“I used to live next door, you know? I could smell you,” Tim answered and then blushed because it sounded slightly creepy. 

“Is that the real reason your mother threw you out?” 

“Whatever do you mean, Dick?” Tim asked. 

Dick looked at him for the first time. “That you are a meta-human,” Dick answered. 

Tim smiled. “I’m not. I am a werewolf. Subhuman to my parents’ eyes. Not worth their love or compassion.”

“Tim-“

“And you wanted to call Animal Control on me,” Tim cut in, gently. “I didn’t think you would take this well.” 

“I didn’t know it was you,” Dick replied. 

“But you did know I, the wolf, was helping you, and you still- see I have trust issues.”

“I understand why now.”

“Besides, you were keeping secrets from me too,” Tim said. 

“You did know,” Dick pointed out. 

“But you didn’t know that I knew and you didn’t think about telling me, did you?” Tim asked. 

Dick sighed. “No…The thing about having a secret identity is you have to keep it secret.” 

Tim smiled again. “I know.” 

“You do know – wait, you sent me all these pictures and data about those scumbags, didn’t you?” 

“Guilty as charged,” Tim said. He was aware that Bruce was somewhere in the house, listening and watching. This was a confession.

“Why?” 

“Because I wasn’t ready, still am not ready to be out there and do it myself. And these people had to be dealt with,” Tim answered. 

“You’re sixteen.”

“You were younger, Jason was younger and I am stronger, faster, my reflexes are better. My body heals when I shift.” Unless the weapon was made of silver, Tim thought, bitterly. 

“And you can heal other people by – with your saliva.”

“Only in wolf form,” Tim admitted. 

“You know he’s going to make it because of you,” Dick said, looking at Jason again. 

“The Joker would have killed him. He smells insane.”

“Insanity has a smell?” Dick asked. 

“Everything has a smell, at least to me it does,” Tim answered. 

“How does Jason smell?” Dick wanted to know, but Tim knew it was only because he didn’t want to ask the real question outright just yet. Dick was building up to it. 

“Like pack,” Tim answered. 

“He’s not a werewolf,” Dick said. 

Tim shrugged. “It just is.” 

“How do I smell to you?” 

Delicious was the word that came to mind, but Tim kept that firmly to himself. “Like pack,” he repeated, because it was close enough. 

“Like family then, a brother.” Dick concluded.

Close enough but not quite, Tim thought. It wasn’t a question, so he didn’t answer. “What happens now?” Tim asked instead. 

“Bruce will want to talk to you of course.” 

“Is there anything else I can say?” Tim asked, inclining his head in the direction of the camera closest to him. 

Dick sighed. “This is big, you knew.”

“And I kept your secret for years, Dick. Yours, Jason’s and Mister Wayne’s. I would have kept it longer still if it weren’t for this impossible situation. I couldn’t call the paramedics.”

“You could have stripped him and call the paramedics,” Dick said. 

“I’m not a monster Dick!” Tim replied hotly. The idea alone was outrageous.

Dick smiled. “I’m glad this idea didn’t even cross your mind.” 

“I could never do something like that, Dick. Never.” 

“I know.”


	8. Chapter 8

~Eight~  
“You have to understand, Mister Wayne that I can’t show you all of my operations,” Tim said. 

When he first entered the office of Bruce Wayne he was met with the man behind the Batmask and not Bruce Wayne the playboy billionaire. It had been intimidating and the rapid fired questions left him little time to come up with half-truths at best. He answered all of Bruce Wayne’s questions with honesty as best he could and now here they were and Bruce Wayne was demanding to see his files on the children and teenagers he had tracked that had shifter abilities and Tim wasn’t going to comply. 

“These children are dangerous-“

“They aren’t, they are children and teenagers, some of them were homeless, stealing and whoring just to survive because their good for nothing parents didn’t see them as human and I will not hand their names and locations to you.” Tim crossed his arms over his chest, it was not because he was feeling intimated by Bruce Wayne anymore, he was making a point. 

“If they are living on the streets, shouldn’t they be helped?”

“Sure, by scientist who want to take them apart once they figure out what these kids are and can do? By the military to be made into living weapons? By some ‘collectors’ to be used as toys?” 

“These are surely worst case scenarios-“

“I was tortured by my own mother since I first turned. I was eleven when I first turned,” Tim cut in. He wasn’t going to trust any adults with these kids. He was helping them through his network. There would be no influencing, no manipulating, no exploiting of these children. Not on Tim’s watch. 

“Your mother was probably just overwhelmed by-“

“No, she knew what she was doing and got creative about it too,” Tim hesitated only a moment and then pulled up his shirt. 

Bruce Wayne took a step back. “Tim.”

“You will not get these files,” Tim said. 

“I understand,” Bruce Wayne replied. 

Tim nodded and pulled his shirt down again. “What happens now?” 

“I’ll have to think about it,” Bruce Wayne said. “I have to admit I am impressed, Tim. With what you’ve done and how long you kept that secret.”

“Mine or yours?” Tim asked. 

A smile flittered over Bruce Wayne’s lips, there and gone. “Both.” 

“I’m not going to stop,” Tim said. 

“I know,” Bruce Wayne replied. 

~+~  
Dick came by two days later, knocked on Tim’s window in his full Nightwing outfit. It was hard to breathe for a moment as Tim looked at him. This was how one of his favorite sexual fantasies started. 

He blinked and then opened the window. “I have a door. It works perfectly fine.”

“Where would be the fun in that?” Dick asked as he slipped inside Tim’s bedroom. So close Tim could smell him and it was intoxicating. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought we could go for a run,” Dick answered. 

It took a second to get Dick’s meaning. “You want me to shift?” 

“I always wanted a pet,” Dick said. 

“I’m no one’s pet!” Tim said angrily. The anger just surged up, he and the wolf both were angry at the careless comment. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” Dick said. “I didn’t think.”

Tim nodded. “Just don’t do it again. I don’t like it.” 

“Okay,” Dick said. 

They looked at each other for a long silent moment and then Tim made a decision. “You might want to turn around for this part. It’s not a pretty sight.” 

“Does it hurt?” Dick asked as he turned around. 

“No, it’s just not pretty,” Tim answered. He stripped and shifted. It was a quick transformation, the more often he did it, the quicker it was he thought. He made a noise to show he was done and Dick turned around. 

“I guess we have to take the door and stairs now,” Dick said. 

Tim nodded. 

“Anyone told you that you are really beautiful?” 

Jason, Tim thought, and nodded. 

“Good, come on then,” Dick said. 

Dick used the grapple in the city to keep up with Tim, but once they made it outside the city limits and to the dense little forest just outside of Gotham, Tim slowed down to measure his steps to Dick’s powerful but human legs.   
They played hide and seek, which was no challenge at all for Tim. He could always catch Dick’s scent on the wind. His sweat, the distinct smell of the Kevlar of the suit. The tang of his blood when a branch cut him.   
After a while Dick collapsed onto the soft forest floor and Tim joined him. Dick turned his head away from the night sky barely visible through the branches and to Tim. “You look really soft. And cuddly.”

Tim just looked at him. Dick smiled. “Can I pet you?” 

Tim nodded and Dick reached out slowly like he didn’t want to spook Tim and ran his fingers gently first over and then through Tim’s fur. It felt good, Tim relaxed into in and lay down on top of Dick so more of Dick’s scent was on him and more of his scent was on Dick. He felt happy when Dick slung both his arms around him. 

“You like that,” Dick said and it wasn’t a question at all. 

Tim did. He didn’t want to move at all. He wanted to stay here in the forest with Dick forever, but that was hardly practical. 

“You know I was really fucking scared the first time I saw you,” Dick whispered.  
Tim licked his face, got his first real taste of Dick’s skin without anything else than happiness coming from him. He tasted different than the first time Tim licked him. Better. 

“And I’m really sorry I threated to call Animal Control on you, Tim. I am.”

Tim licked him again and Dick buried his face in Tim’s fur. They stayed like that for a long while. 

~+~  
Jason woke up three days later. Tim got a text message from Dick to let him know.   
After school Dick was waiting for him at the gates. 

“Are people talking yet?” He teased. 

“They are,” Tim replied. 

“Are you even out?” Dick asked. 

“Does it matter? People think what they want to think.”

“And what do they think, Tim?” Dick asked as he started the car. 

“That you’re fucking me,” Tim replied, not looking at Dick. 

“Romance is clearly dead,” Dick sighed. 

Tim looked at his profile. “You want to be wooed? Dinner, candles, flowers?”

“Romance isn’t only for women, you know,” Dick said. 

“I know.” Tim bit his lip, but he was curious now and didn’t want to stop this. “So, do you?”

“What?” 

“Want flowers, dinner, candles, slow seduction?” 

“Usually I am the one who does all that,” Dick said, grinning. 

“Yes, but romance isn’t only for women,” Tim repeated. 

“Quick study, I like that,” Dick said. 

Tim wasn’t sure if Dick was flirting or what, so he changed the subject to be safe. “How is Jason?”

“Awake,” Dick answered. “Thanks to you alive and kicking. And he wants to see you.” 

“He asked to see me?”

Dick gave him a look. “Yes, of course. You saved his life, Tim.” 

Tim nodded, he wondered how Jason would react to him now that they all knew what Tim was.   
Dick turned the radio on and Tim watched Gotham fly by as they got ever closer to the manor. 

~+~  
“If it isn’t my savior,” Jason said. There weren’t many cuts on him because Tim had licked them away, but he looked pale and weak. He smelled weak too, but his heartbeat was strong when Tim listened for it. 

“How are you?” Tim asked. 

“Not dead, thanks to you,” Jason said. He smiled. “You were hiding things.”

“You knew I was,” Tim replied with an answering smile. 

“Yeah, we knew,” Jason looked at him, the smile disappearing from his lips. “That’s the real reason your mother abused you, isn’t it?” 

Tim shrugged. “She didn’t see me as her son anymore. Not as a human being in fact.” 

“Bitch,” Jason said. 

“So…you’re not mad?”

“No. I imagine Bruce and Dick chewed you out already?” 

Tim nodded. “It wasn’t so bad.” 

“Would you have ever told us?” Jason asked. 

“You and Dick?” 

“Yeah,” Jason said. 

“Probably not.”

“Because we were keeping secrets too,” Jason concluded. 

“You didn’t trust me, and I didn’t trust you.” 

“But you did,” Jason said. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. He was going to kill me.”

“I know,” Tim replied. 

“Have to admit I’m pretty messed up by it. I never thought I would die that young.”

“You didn’t,” Tim said firmly. 

“Because you saved me, you stopped him.”

“Not for good,” Tim said, looking down. 

“You wanted to kill him,” Jason stated. 

“I wanted to kill him,” Tim admitted. “I still want to. I could sniff him out and I could tear out his throat and it would look like an animal did it.”

“And you would walk free,” Jason said gently. 

“Yes,” Tim replied. 

“Why don’t you hunt him down then?”

“Because I respect what you do and what you stand for,” Tim said. “I don’t want to be what my mother thinks I am. A savage beast.”

“You’re not, not even when you are a wolf, Tim,” Jason said and curled his fingers around Tim’s smaller ones. He squeezed lightly and Tim could feel heat bloom in his stomach and chest. He didn’t pull away. It felt nice to have Jason hold his hand. 

~+~  
Dick knocked on his bedroom window that night again. Tim was just coming out of the shower. They stared at each other for a long moment before Tim got a grip and disappeared into the bathroom again. Shit, he thought, he didn’t want Dick to see his scars. He put hastily boxer, sweats and a t-shirt on while Dick was already jamming the window open. 

“That’s breaking and entering,” Tim teased, but Dick wasn’t having any of it. 

“He didn’t tell me,” Dick said. 

“Tell you what?” Tim asked. “And who?”

“Bruce, about the scars,” Dick replied. “He knew, didn’t he? It’s why he leaves you alone. Doesn’t press you on your work with the other kids like you.”

Tim nodded. “He knows: I showed him to make a point.” 

“Yeah,” Dick said. “Your parents did that?”

“My mother,” Tim said. “I told you she-“

“Yes, but I didn’t think she tortured you!” He came closer and grabbed Tim by the shoulders. “And you were right there on the other side of the fence and we never noticed, what kind of vigilantes does that make us?” 

“They, we kept up appearances,” Tim said. 

“Stop making excuses for everyone,” Dick said. “We failed you.”

“My parents failed me, Dick. I was just a stranger to you.”

“We rescue strangers every night. You were a kid in need of help.” 

“I helped myself,” Tim said firmly. “I’m not a damsel in distress. I can look out for myself. I’m strong.”

“I know,” Dick said. 

“No, you don’t,” Tim replied, pushing Dick away hard. Dick blinked in surprise as he steadied himself. Tim pushed again until Dick was pinned between the bedroom wall and Tim. “I’m strong,” Tim repeated. “I can hold you down, I can outrun you, I can crush your bones with just a bit of gently applied pressure, Dick.”  
Tim couldn’t see Dick’s eyes because the whiteout lenses were up, but he could smell the excitement coming from Dick and it took him by surprise. “This isn’t romance,” Tim said, blinking. He wasn’t letting go of Dick, Dick wasn’t struggling to get away. 

“No, it isn’t.”

“I thought you liked romance,” and girls Tim thought. 

“It doesn’t have always to be romance, you know. I like to mix it up.” 

“With boys?” Tim asked. “For the thrill?” 

“Right now? With you,” Dick said, surging forward to kiss Tim. It was awkward for a moment because Tim was so fucking confused, but then he pushed forward and met Dick’s lips with his own firmly. “And yes,” Dick added when they came up for air, “for the thrill.”  
Tim just had to kiss him again.


	9. Chapter 9

~Nine~  
Tim wasn’t really thinking what he and Dick were doing or why Dick was doing it. They were friends that sometimes kissed. Dick liked when Tim was holding him down and Tim loved to feel Dick’s hard body underneath him. The wolf inside him was pleased that this man was being submissive. 

“So, you and Dick,” Jason said, landing gracefully beside Tim on the rooftop. “And here I thought you and me had something special.”

“Jason-“

“Just kidding,” Jason said, laughing. “And we use codenames.”

“There is no one here to hear or see us. I can tell.”

“What about bugs?” Jason asked. 

“I could hear them too. Can’t stand the noise they’re making,” Tim replied. 

Jason looked at him long and hard. “You’re pulling my leg.” 

Tim grinned. “Maybe.”

“Totally.”

“I made sure that no one could overhear Robin. I would never endanger you,” Tim said. 

“I know,” Jason sighed. “It’s just B…you know, he has a thing for codenames and what have you not.” He sat down on the railing and let his legs dangle. The cape was swaying gently in the wind. It looked peaceful. 

“You don’t always agree with him.”

“To be honest if I had your abilities I’d probably strike out on my own sooner rather than later,” Jason replied. 

“But he’s your family,” Tim said. 

Jason turned his head so he could look at Tim over his shoulder. “Sure is. And I’m grateful for what he has done, but sometimes…I feel stifled by all his rules,” Jason said. “You can love your family and still disagree with them.” 

“Do you disagree with Dick?” Tim asked. 

“About you two hooking up and all, you mean?”

“Yeah,” Tim answered. 

“He is considerably older than you, but he’s a good guy. Messed up like we all are, but less than some, so…” he grinned. “I told him I’ll hurt him if he hurts you.”

“Jay,” Tim said and then hugged Jason from behind. He wasn’t an experienced hugger, but Jason didn’t seem to mind. 

“You’re my pack too, you know?”

“Yes,” Tim said. He did know. 

“And you need way more practice in hugging. Dick is good for that.”

“I know,” Tim repeated. Dick liked to run his fingers through Tim’s fur too. He didn’t seem to see a different creature when Tim shifted. Never talked to him like he was a dog. 

“Good. What are you doing here anyway?” Jason asked. 

“Surveillance,” Tim replied. 

“Dick told me about your little letters,” Jason said. “Drove him mad not knowing who sent them. Never suspected you.”

“I don’t look like much,” Tim replied. 

“You’re selling yourself short,” Jason said. “We knew you were hiding something, but never dreamed you were so good at the game that you could beat us.”

“I just wanted to help. I still just want to help,” Tim said. 

“We know. You made a good case with B.”

“I don’t think he trusts me.”

Jason waved it away. “He doesn’t really trust anyone.”

Tim wanted to argue that Bruce clearly trusted Dick and Jason and Alfred, but he didn’t think he had the right. Nor enough data to make a solid case.  
Jason jumped from the railing onto the rooftop. “Did you turn for Dick?”

“Yes,” Tim answered. He put his binoculars down and looked at Jason sideways. “You want to run with me?”

“Isn’t that what pack does?”

Tim shrugged. “I never had a pack before. I don’t know much about being a proper werewolf.”

Jason grinned. “I think you’re doing alright.”

“I don’t think Bay will go out tonight anymore.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Don’t you know?”

Jason shrugged. “B saw you two hours ago.”

Tim nodded. “Four hours.”

“You have school tomorrow.”

”You have school tomorrow,” Tim repeated. 

Jason smiled. “Let’s tire ourselves out then.”

Tim could feel the blush spreading over his neck. Dick had said the exact same thing last week when they rubbed off against each other. 

“Meet you at my place,” Tim said. 

Jason nodded and shot the grapple gun.  
Tim packed up his gear and started running. He was after all a more earthbound creature. 

~+~  
“Okay,” Jason said, collapsing on Tim’s couch. It was a thing he did, coming over unannounced. Sometimes he brought dinner, so Tim wasn’t too annoyed. To be honest he couldn’t be annoyed at Jason or Dick. “Make me a werewolf.”

Tim laughed. “What?” 

“I made up my mind.” Jason sat in the lotus position on Tim’s couch and looked at Tim. Tim closed his laptop. 

“Were you drinking?” Tim asked. 

“It’s a weekend, busy night for vigilantes. You think B would let me drink?” Jason asked. 

“What is your excuse for this insane idea then?” Tim wanted to know. 

“It’s not insane. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, since you came out to us,” Jason answered. 

“I was born like this Jason, you were not,” Tim said. 

“But there has to be a way. I mean there is folklore and stuff.”

“I bit the Joker,” Tim said. “He isn’t howling at the moon.” The Joker was back in Arkham. The Batman had made sure to hunt him down, which took weeks. He had scars from Tim’s claws and teeth; he wasn’t changing into a wolf randomly. 

“Okay fine, so maybe it doesn’t work with a scratch or a bite, or maybe you have to bite someone in your human form?” Jason asked. 

“That would be impractical and awkward for people who are into biting during sex, Jason.” 

“There has to be a way.”

“Where is this even coming from?” Tim asked. 

“I told you. I’ve been thinking about it. You’re stronger, faster, your reflexes are better.”

“So you want it to be a better vigilante?” Tim asked. 

Jason let his head fall against the backrest of the sofa. It bared his throat and the wolf part of Tim approved of it. Wanted to lick and bite that offered throat. He bit his tongue instead. “Yes, no…”

“It’s not all sunshine and rainbows.”

“I know, but you have fun now, don’t you?” Jason asked. 

“I do.”

“But don’t you feel that something is missing?” Jason asked, looking at Tim with his piercing green eyes. They reminded Tim of a forest. Familiar and dangerous at the same time. 

Tim did and it didn’t help that Jason was baring his throat like he knew what he was doing.  
“No,” Tim said. 

“You’re such a liar, Tim,” Jason replied, but he seemed only slightly angry. “Aren’t you even a little bit curious if you could turn someone?” 

Tim was. “Of course I am, but I won’t start experimenting on people now, Jason.” 

“I’m a willing consenting adult,” Jason replied. 

“Bruce would hunt me down, you know how he thinks about meta-humans.” 

“You’re not a-“

“How do you know?” Tim cut in. “I mean, we call it myth and legend, but only because there wasn’t science to state otherwise.”

“You said you weren’t a meta-human, Tim.”

Tim sighed. He did say that. “Fine. Okay. I’m a creature of legends and myths then and you want to become one too.”

“Exactly,” Jason said. 

“I don’t know how to make you a werewolf,” Tim replied. “I told you.”

Jason waved that protest away again. “We’ll figure it out.” 

The thing was, Tim was pretty sure they would. 

~+~  
“You really love this,” Tim said, pressing Dick’s wrists down onto the mattress. He was straddling Dick, one hand holding Dick’s wrist above his head, the other resting lightly on his chest, feeling the heartbeat strong and fast. 

“Yeah.”

“Why? Is it because I’m so much smaller?”

“Maybe,” Dick said. “But mostly I think it’s because I feel secure.” 

Tim blinked. “You feel safe with me holding you down?” 

Dick looked at him hard. “Of course. You would never hurt me, except if I wanted it.” 

“No, I would never, but-“ Tim cut himself off. His mother had always been afraid of him after his first change. It had screwed his whole perspective he realized. 

“Hey,” Dick said gently, “I trust you and I obviously get off on it. On you.”

Tim couldn’t help but glance down at Dick’s lap. His cock was hard and straining, the tip glistening with pre-come. “You do.”

Dick laughed. It was such a lovely sound, Tim thought. Especially during sex. Dick enjoyed this. “Of course, come on,” Dick said. 

Tim let his hand slide down Dick’s chest and stroked his cock gently. He loved the feel of it in his hand. The rigid softness and heat. “I want you to fuck me,” Dick said, straining against Tim.  
Tim’s eyes snapped from his hand on Dick’s cock to Dick’s face. They’ve never done that before. Dick had two fingers inside Tim once, but Tim hadn’t liked it as much as he thought he would. One finger was good when Dick was sucking him off, but two were too much. Dick had shrugged and let it go. Even Dick liked being held down and played with Tim hadn’t for some reason made the connection that Dick also probably would like to be fucked. 

“What?” he said, stopping his hand on Dick’s cock. 

“I want you to fuck me. To put your penis inside my ass,” Dick answered. “Fingers and lube first.”

“I know that,” Tim said, slightly irritated. 

Dick laughed. “Get the lube then Tim.”

Tim had half a mind to ask if Dick was sure, but really if Dick hadn’t been sure he wouldn’t have asked for it and besides Dick was older and more experience. This was probably hardly his first time. Tim let go of Dick and reached for the lube in the drawer. Dick spread his legs in invitation. It made Tim’s skin hot. He opened the lube, coated his fingers and kneeled between Dick’s open legs. He pushed one finger inside gently, Dick moaned in appreciation, Tim was fascinated by Dick’s hole: glistening, wet and inviting. He lost some time to it, but Dick reminded him of the goal with a few well-placed filthy words. Tim pushed another finger in, stretched and played with Dick’s hole until Dick told him to put his cock in there now. Tim didn’t argue.  
It felt like heaven to be inside Dick. He growled when he bottomed out. Dick laughed again, but that stopped as soon as Tim started to move. He played around with speed, force and angles. By the time Dick came they were both drenched in sweat. Tim fucked him through it. 

Dick’s breathing was labored like he had just run a marathon. “Wow,” he whispered. 

“Was it good?” Tim asked, he thought so, but he wanted to be sure.

“Yeah, I mean…your stamina is incredible.” 

“Probably thanks to my wolf side,” Tim said. “My wolf really likes you Dick. He wants to do this all the time.” 

“And your human side,” Dick asked, turning them so they were both on their sides looking at each other. 

“That side wants to do this all the time too,” Tim said. 

“That’s good, I’m not sure we can all the time, I might get sore-“

“Did I hurt you?” Tim asked. 

“No,” Dick said, kissing Tim’s nose gently. “It was really good. Didn’t think it would be this good, it being your first time and all.” 

“I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not,” Tim said. 

“Don’t be. Everyone needs practice after all, but you seem to be a natural at this.” 

Tim thought that it was pure instinct, not really his human instinct either, but he kept that to himself.  
“Glad you think so,” Tim said, snuggling closer. He liked to feel close to his pack in his human and his wolf form. It was a good thing that Dick liked to feel close after sex – and in general – too. 

~+~  
“This one says that if you drink water from an imprint a werewolf left behind you’ll turn on the next moon,” Jason said. 

Tim groaned. “That’s kinda disgusting.” 

Jason grinned, wickedly. “Another says you have to drink a werewolf’s piss.”

“I hope you’re not so desperate to go there,” Tim said. 

“Nah, I think it was a kink of the author’s anyway,” Jason replied. He put another book on werewolf lore aside and looked at Tim. “You could figure it out. I’m sure you could.”

Tim could, he could feel it in his bones sometimes, a need to share what he was. It scared him. Mostly it scared him because he felt it with Jason, but not with Dick. And he loved Dick. He knew he loved Dick.  
“Jason, why don’t you just let it be?”

“Because I want to be like you. I want to be free and fearless like you.” 

“You are fearless,” Tim said. 

Jason banged his head against the backrest of the couch. “I’m not. Not anymore. Sometimes I lie in my bed at the manor and everything is so quiet, you know? And I can feel myself die. I see his face and feel how powerless I am and then I think about you. Scrawny, small you. And you beat the Joker. I don’t want to feel like that anymore.”

“Does Bruce now? Dick?”

Jason laughed without humor. “No.” 

“Maybe you should tell them,” Tim said gently. 

“I don’t think so,” Jason replied. “I know how to fix it and I need your help. Before I thought the solution would be to kill the Joker, you know? But then I realized there would be others. I had to change. I can’t tell B I wanted to kill someone.”

When Jason said wanted, Tim thought, he meant was ready to do it. It wasn’t an idle passing thought like most people had from time to time, it was an obsession.  
Tim understood obsessions.  
“If I would find a way,” Tim said carefully. “You would be mine. My pack. Just…mine.”

“I understand,” Jason said. 

“I don’t think so, because not even I understand it. It’s instinct. I turn you and you’re mine. I don’t know how that will compromise your work with the Batman.”

“You mostly approve of the guy and his methods, don’t you?” Jason asked. 

“Yes.”

“Then I don’t see a problem,” Jason said. 

Tim couldn’t see one either right now, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be one later. “You’ll have to tell Bruce and Dick before.” He said. 

“So they’ll know that it wasn’t an accident and that I wanted it, you mean?”

“Yes,” Tim said. 

“Deal,” Jason replied. 

~+~  
Maybe Tim wanted to make Jason pack because he saved his life, maybe it was because Jason had been the first person to accept him in his wolf form, Tim didn’t know why. Maybe it was something more basic than logic, not part of his human brain at all.  
No matter the why, Tim knew that he could do it. When Jason was ready to be a wolf and part of Tim’s pack then it would happen. 

~+~  
“Can I come in?” Jason asked. He was wet, because it was pouring outside, and bloody. 

“Of course,” Tim said, stepping aside to let Jason in. “What happened?”

“I told B. We had words.” Jason shrugged out of his jacket and proceeded to take off the rest of his clothes. 

“He didn’t…did he?”

“This? No. I got into a fight because I was angry. B doesn’t understand.” He was naked now with a pile of wet clothes at his feet. “A few of the books suggested a wolf has to fuck you.” 

Tim swallowed and looked resolutely into Jason’s face. “Stop messing with me. This is serious. Bruce doesn’t approve.” 

Jason waved it away. “Of course he doesn’t. We knew that. But it’s not his life, is it?”

Tim nodded, he couldn’t argue with that. Jason was old enough to know what he wanted. He had been thinking about it for a long time.  
“You still want it?” Tim asked, he wanted it too. His wolf wanted it. Selfishly he hoped Jason hadn’t changed his mind. 

“Yeah, I still want it,” Jason answered. 

“Okay,” Tim said and then, “Come here.” Jason did, without any hesitation. Tim put his fingers around Jason’s neck, titled his head, so his neck was exposed and got on his toes. “It’s gonna hurt.”

“I know,” Jason said, closing his eyes. 

Tim bit him hard. He could taste Jason’s blood, could taste his own saliva mixing with it. Could feel a part of himself anchoring itself inside Jason’s body, his heart, his bloodstream.  
“Fuck,” Jason said when Tim licked his wound clean. It wouldn’t close like it usually did. Jason fell to his knees. “Burns like a motherfucker.” 

“It’s going to be fine,” Tim said, even if it didn’t look like it right now. 

Jason laughed and then passed out. Tim scooped him up and put him into bed, dressed the wound and just watched Jason sweat and sleep and trash and howl for hours. And then he watched Jason trash and sweat and mumble in his sleep for another few with Dick at his side. Dick hadn’t said a word when he climbed into the room through the window, just sat down at Tim’s side and watched Jason. Tim was glad he was here. 

~+~  
Jason woke up on the third day after Tim bit him. He smelled different to Tim already. 

“I’m not dead,” he whispered. 

“No,” Tim replied. 

“Did it work?”

“Yes,” Tim answered. Tim could smell the wolf inside Jason. 

“Don’t feel any different,” Jason said. 

“You smell different,” Tim replied. 

“Okay,” Jason said. “You know he fired me.”

“Who?”

“B. Said I couldn’t be his Robin when I do this.”

“Jason,” that was Dick coming from the kitchen with a glass of water. 

“And you still did it,” Tim said. “Why?”

“Because you feel more like pack to me than he ever did,” Jason answered. “There is something feral in me. Always had been.” Tim grabbed and squeezed Jason’s hand. “Thank you for doing this,” Jason added. 

“You are welcome,” Tim replied. 

“Well, you’re both now on Bruce’s shitlist,” Dick said, sitting down and handing the glass of water to Jason. Jason took a few careful sips. 

“He’ll come around,” Jason said. 

“Maybe once he calmed down, he will take you back as his Robin,” Tim mused. 

“I don’t think I want to be Robin anymore, gotta spread my wings,” Jason said. 

“Who did you want to be then?” Dick asked. 

“I don’t know yet, but I’m sure it’ll come to me sooner or later.” Jason handed the glass back and closed his eyes. “Now I need to sleep some more.”

“Sure,” Tim said and got up. 

He and Dick left Jason in the bedroom and went to the small kitchen. Tim busied himself with making coffee. 

“I didn’t know you could do this,” Dick said eventually. 

“I don’t think it would work with just anyone,” Tim replied. “Jason really wanted it and he is right, you know? There is something feral inside him and it called to the feral part inside me.”

“What about me?” Dick asked. 

Tim shrugged. “You don’t want it.” He realized as he said it that he wanted Dick to want it. 

“So you just have to want it bad enough?” 

“I guess and the other part, me, has to want it, too.“

“You wanted Jason to be part of your pack,” Dick said. 

“Yes. Is it so horrible to want a family that loves you?” Tim asked. 

“No, it’s not,” Dick replied. 

“Are you mad?” Tim wanted to know, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“I’m not mad,” Dick said. 

“But you’re something,” Tim concluded, putting the mug down on the counter.

“Maybe jealous, he’s so much closer to you now.”

“Dick, you’re my lover,” Tim replied. “And I was in love with you before I even understood the concept of being in love with someone.”

Dick grabbed him and pulled him in, kissed him hard. It was an unusual show of possessive aggressiveness which Tim thrilled at. “You have nothing to worry about,” Tim added once Dick ended the kiss. 

“Okay,” Dick said, hugging him. It felt good to feel being held by him like this. He felt loved and secure. 

“Jason needed this,” Tim said softly. 

“I know,” Dick replied and kissed the top of Tim’s head.


	10. Chapter 10

~Coda: Six months later~

Tim was crashing through the underbrush with Jason hot on his heels. Or paws, he smiled and the wolf ran a bit faster. He could smell Jason, the forest, the earth, the plants. The night was alive with wonder and he wanted to howl. He skidded to a halt in front of Dick, who was sitting just where Jason and Tim had left him nearly two hours ago. Tim was reasonably sure that Dick had been walking around or playing with the tablet, but right now he looked like when they left him. Sitting in the lotus position, smiling at them. 

“Come on,” Dick said, opening his arms wide. 

Tim jumped into his arms and licked his face. He tasted different when Tim was in wolf form. It was always a thrill.

“Did you have a good run?” Dick asked. 

“Sure,” Jason replied, sitting down next to Dick. He was grinning and picking out small twigs from his hair. He stretched and grabbed a blanket. The nights were warm now, but the change from wolf to human was still a bit of a shock to Jason’s system. Tim shifted to human and Dick’s arms tightened around him. 

“Glad to hear it,” Dick said. He kissed the top of Tim’s hair and Jason handed him a sandwich. 

They tried to not kill anything on their runs, but it couldn’t always be avoided. Neither Tim nor Jason felt any sadness or guilt for killing a small animal, but it made Dick said to see blood on their fur and snouts.   
They ate their picnic in silence. 

“You know,” Jason said, once he was done, “This feels more like being a family than when I lived at the manor.” He was looking up at the patches of night sky visible through branches. “More natural, you know?” Jason added. 

“Yeah,” Dick said. 

It was probably because neither Dick nor Jason had to prove anything to Tim. Tim loved them. It was partly an unconditional animal kind of love. Not that they didn’t have their ups and downs during Jason’s and Dick’s adjustment phase. Even if Dick wasn’t a werewolf, he was still pack and Jason moving in with Tim had been a point they had argued about a lot in the beginning. Dick’s solution was to get a two room apartment. Tim had relented. 

They had monthly Sunday dinners now at the manor too. Bruce and Jason were trying to mend the fences. Tim was glad, because he knew how much Bruce meant to both Jason and Dick. 

“Still glad you and Bruce are making up,” Dick added. 

Jason nodded. 

“Any thoughts on your new vigilante name and costume?” Tim asked. 

“I might have a few ideas, we can talk them over once we’re back home,” Jason answered. 

Home, Tim thought, it had been such a foreign concept for a long time and now it filled his heart with warmth. 

“Okay,” Tim said, grabbing Jason’s hand and squeezing it. “I’m sure it will look great.” 

“Well, better than Nightwing’s first try for sure,” Jason teased. 

Dick laughed. Tim grabbed Dick by the neck with his free hand and pulled him down, so he could capture that laugh with his mouth and swallow it down.


End file.
